


Wolf Pack

by Instilation00



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 04:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 93,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17358752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Instilation00/pseuds/Instilation00
Summary: Set after the events of Sly 3 and ignoring Sly 4. It has been a year now since Sly faked his Amnesia, and the guilt of what he has done is starting to get to him. When he finally tells carmelita the truth, things don't go to good and he leaves to go find his old friends. Things take a turn as Sly and his friends find themselves in the middle of a millenia-old grudge war.





	1. One Year Later

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and thank you for reading. This is a work-in-progress story that has been up on Fanfiction for a while and now I'm bring it here. The Fanfiction version will have any extra notes before and after the chapters there, for here I'm just going to post what I have when I get it done. Please enjoy, leave feedback and thanks for reading.

It had been one year exactly since it happened. Sly stood on the balcony and looked up at the stars. His back was slouched forwards and his elbows rested against the railing to keep him up. One year since the Cooper Vault job, where he and his friends were able to unlock and enter the secret cave network, where untold treasures and secrets lay buried for hundreds of years. One year since he faked his amnesia to the woman he loved so he could be close to her.

Sly let out a sigh and looked over the dark night of Paris. The city was illuminated by the many street lights that kicked on around 10pm, and in the distance stood the symbol of France, the Eiffel Tower. He remembered using the tower as a lookout many times in the past. From the top he could see most of the city, and it was a great way to see where most of the traffic was so Murry could avoid it when they went on heists. Sly chucked a little, remembering how reckless yet amazing Murry's driving was. Last he had heard, Murry was making a bit of a name for himself in the demolition derby field, and was Florida states undefeated champion. Sly wondered just how much Murry's van would be able to take before finally blowing up, but he knew that Murry always took care of his "Baby on Wheels", and it had saved their gangs asses more times than he could count. What Sly really wanted to know was what Bentley was up to. He hadn't seen or heard from him since the Vault job. Sly thought he saw him once watching him when he was out on the balcony was his girlfriend, but it was very dark that night and he couldn't be sure of who or what it was. Bentley may have always been a bit of a nerd, but he cared for his friends and Sly felt guilty for leaving them.

He left them. Sly looked down with a sad and heavy heart. When his parents had died fighting against the Fiendish Five, Sly was sent to an orphanage where he met his two lifelong pals. They quickly became more than friends, and together the three of them became a family. There first heist had been stealing cookies back at the orphanage. Sly had never realized it until many years later, but he had made them into thief's. Okay maybe they weren't the ones that actually stole anything, but they helped him all the same. Bentley could hack into any security system, disabling lights, motion sensors, laser grids, anything. He had a real talent for it. If he hadn't been a criminal, what would have done with his life? Sly imagined Bentley being a top government scientist that worked in Black Ops operations. He was sure Bentley could have invented some interesting new technologies that could really change the world. Instead, Bentley was unknowingly forced into a life of crime, helping to steal artifacts and trinkets from museums as well as having to help Sly fight off enemies like ClockWerk.

Sly knew Bentley and Murry were happy with the lives they lived. They all knew that, despite what they did, they were not real criminals, not the bad kind. Sure they broke the law and stole things, but they weren't bad people. Sly and his gang never stole from ordinary people, only from other criminals. That was the Copper family moto: 'There is no Challenge, no Honor, no Fun in stealing from normal people.' You don't become a master thief by stealing from people who either can't protect themselves, or who don't have anything worth stealing. The words his father had spoken to him the night before he died still echoed in his mind.

" _Remember son, a Cooper only steals that which has already been stolen."_

His father's words were as clear now as they were then, and it was one of the few peaceful memories he had.

Sly heard something move behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the bed sheets rustle as someone rolled over in her sleep. Sly smiled. Who would have thought that after all these years he would be living with the most beautiful, caring, and badass person in the world, Carmelita Montoya Fox. The orange-brown vixen rolled over on her side, clinging to a pillow Sly was sure she thought was him. For years the two of them had played cops and robbers. Almost every major heist Sly went on, Carmelita was there to greet him with a shock pistol and handcuffs ready to haul him off to jail. She never could catch him though, mostly because he was a master thief that never could be caught. As time went on however, Sly began to think that she was LETTING him get away, just so they could keep up their game of cat and mouse. Sly remembered how furious she would get with him whenever he turned on his 'Cooper charm'. He would say flirty and sometimes cliché things like:

" _I hope it didn't hurt when you fell from heaven"_

and

" _The moon's light shines down on us my darling. How lucky I am to see such beauty, for I am not worthy to gaze upon an angel such as you."_

and so on.

Many of these compliments would make her blush, but she would always throwback an insult to his kind words, never wanting him to realize that his words touched her heart and made it skip a beat every time. The best parts of their little games were when they worked together, which they surprisingly did quite a few times. The first was against ClockWerk, and after his defeat Sly finally got to kiss the angelic Fox. It was quick and meant to distract her, but it was one of the best moments of his life. Another amazing time was when Sly was able to have a tango dance with her. He was quite surprised at how good she had been, not expecting a hard-pressed Interpol inspector to know how to dance so gracefully and steadily as she did. There dance was something out of a fairy tale, the stable boy and the princess, Robin Hood and Maid Marian, the Hunchback and Esmeralda. They were watched by dozens of people who were in awe and jealousy of the tango duo. Of course the dance itself was simply meant to be a distraction while Murry procured the ClockWerk wings while no one was looking, but in the moment Sly cared about nothing else but looking into her Almond colored eyes, wanting the dance to last forever. These and other close moments were probably what made him fall in love with her. She was strong and independent, but she was also caring and loyal. She fought for justice, and to her, all criminals were the same, even if she didn't always live by her words. The two of them had quite a history with one another, and Sly remembered back to one very fun quick night they had together.

* * *

 

Despite his friend's protests, Sly was going to let himself get caught by the lovely Inspector. Bentley had made a new gadget that could break a pair of handcuffs in a matter of seconds, and Sly though of the best way to test his buddy's new device. Sly had left there safehouse and found Carmelita at work. She was working overtime to get paperwork finished that she wasn't able to do the week before because she was chasing Cooper. He snuck into her office without her knowing and 'accidently' tricked over a box and fell. The startled Fox quickly turned with her shock pistol pointed down at the intruder. He pretended to be dazed by his fall, and in that moment, Carmelita had him pinned down on the ground with his hands behind his back. He could have easily thrown her off or rolled her over to be on top of her, but he let her grab her cuffs and tightly lock them around his wrists. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She had finally caught Sly Cooper, him trying to sneak up behind her in her own office of all things. With him properly secured, she picked him up and sat him down on her chair. Hands cuffed behind him, Sly looked up at her with his usual smirk and congratulated her.

" _Well done Inspector. It was just going to drop by and say hello, but it seems you finally caught me, and due to my own clumsiness no less."_  He gave her a quick wink with his right eye and continued his smirk.

" _What?!"_ Her fur stood up as she took that as an insult _"Don't try and turn this around, I knew you were there and I was waiting for you to walk into my little trap."_

" _Right. You trap for me was a box, on the ground, that I didn't see, that I tripped over. Well done Inspector."_ He tried clapping his hands but the cuffs were too tight to let his palms tough. _"If I could move my wrists I would applaud your great thinking and ingenuity. Come on, we both know you had no idea I was there."_

" _Can it Ringtail, or I will add insulting an officer to your record of crimes."_

" _Of course of course, please forgive me officer, I meant no offense. You truly are the greatest Inspector Interpol has to offer."_

" _Shut your mouth before I go find a muzzle for you Ringtail."_ Sly was about to say more but quickly shut his mouth, making Carmelita smirk now that she was in change. _"Now why don't you tell me why you thought it was a good idea to sneak into Interpol headquarters in the middle of the night. For a Master thief who has never been caught, you got caught pretty easily and in the dumbest of ways."_

" _Oh my dear Carmelita, how your words wound me so. I came here to put a smile on thine face, but alas, who am I but a petty thief and a fool to think I could have any chance at wooing an angelic being such as thee Carmelita Montoya Fox"_

His words brought a quick blush to Carmelita's face, and her heart began to beat faster. He always had that effect on her, despite how much she hated it. She quickly reigned herself and rolled her eyes at him.

" _God your hopeless Cooper. You could be so much more, hell you would even make a great Interpol detective. Instead you steal from others to get yourself rich and famous. How pathetic."_

" _Rich and famous? Well that really is a step up now isn't it. I had no idea I was rich, or famous, by any standards. But if I am so rich, then where is all my money?"_

" _You have it stored someone criminal. Most likely in offshore banks. That will make it difficult to get it back but don't worry, everything you stole will go back to those who deserve it."_ There was a hint of justice and victory in her voice as she put Cooper in his place, but all her words did was make him smile more.

" _Well I certainly hope it does. But then again, everything I steal was already stolen, wasn't it Ms. Fox? That sapphire I took from the royal English museum belonged to the third king of Ireland I believe. I even left it in the passenger seat of your car with a note telling you who it really belonged to. I didn't keep that did I?"_

Cooper made a fair point. He hadn't kept the sapphire like she expected him to. In fact, a majority of things he stole ended up in her possession later on. Most of the places he had stolen from were found out to be owned by other criminals looking to get money or power. She knew what he was saying was true, but she would never admit it to him.

" _It doesn't matter Cooper. Theft is against the law. You've stolen hundreds of artifacts, jewels, paintings. The list goes on. It doesn't matter why you did it, you're still going to jail."_

" _You know what, I think your right. I am going to go to jail…just not tonight."_

As quick as he had finished his sentence, his hands were free of the steel cuffs and he jumped forward, pouncing on Carmelita and sending them both to the ground. She was completely taken by surprise, and she landed on her back and looked up, the wind slightly knocked out of her. Sly sat on top of her, smirking down as she began to realize what had just happened. He reached to her side where her spare pair of handcuffs were and quickly grabbed them. Right as she was about to throw him off he leaped up off of her. The force she had put into throwing him off now hit air and she was flung over onto her stomach. Before she could act again she felt her arms tugged behind her and an all-to-familiar click as her wrists were locked in place. Sly made sure not to put them on to tight like she had done to him. He didn't want to hurt her. She struggled for half a second before being lifted and seated back in her own chair. Everything was turned around now. Instead of Cooper being cuffed in her seat, she was, and instead of her looking down at him with a smug face, he was. She narrowed her eyes and let out a growl before trying to lung forward, but before she could Cooper had his foot on the chair and his knee buried in her chest. Realizing she could not get up she was going to bite at his leg, but felt a cold pressure against her neck. Sly had grabbed his cane and held the metal hook to her throat. He didn't put enough pressure on it to choke her, but it was enough to hold her head back and keep her in place.

The two starred at one another for a few seconds. Sly as always kept up his smirk. He loved it when he able to trick her like he did. It proved to himself that he was still the Master Thief and he couldn't be held down. If looks could kill, Sly would be filed with daggers wounds. Carmelita glared up at him with fire in her eyes. She was furious beyond understanding. Not only did he break free with her even knowing, but she was now cuffed with her own handcuffs and trapped in her own office with no way of escape. While anger fueled her, a part of her was now terrified. She couldn't fight back, even if she wanted to. He had the upper hand, and he was a criminal. He could do whatever he wanted to her, and there was no one here to hear her or help her in she did scream. For now, the two just starred at one another until Sly broke the silence.

" _I got to hand it to Bentley, his new gadget really works. I was free of those cuffs before you even sat me down."_

" _You no good, pompous, arrogant, little weasel!"_

" _Wow there, bringing out the big guns eh? Just admit that I beat you and you will feel a lot better about the whole thing."_

" _How about you let me go and I will show you a real beating Ringtail!"_ Her words spit into his face as he just chucked some more and wiped his face.

" _Sorry love, but with your temper, I wouldn't stand a chance. Anyway, thanks for giving me the chance to try out Bentley's new toy. I am sure it will come in handy in the future. I know how much you have wanted to slap those cuffs on me, and I'm sorry it was short lived. Maybe the next time I wear handcuffs we will be playing a different kind of game."_

Sly gave her a friendly wink then dashed away to the window. Carmelita quickly got up, but with her hands cuffed she really couldn't do anything. The keys to her cuffs were in her front pocket, but she couldn't reach them due to the limited reach of her arms now. She looked back and saw Cooper perched on the window sill, smiling at her before leaving.

" _So what, you just dropped by so that I you could test out your new toy at my expense?! And now your going to leave be handcuffed in my own office?!"_

" _You have the keys on you Ms. Fox. I am sure you will find a way to reach them before your coworkers arrive. Otherwise I am sure this will be a very awkward situation for you if someone finds you. Toodle-oo mi encantadora zorra."_

With that Sly hooked his cane on a pipe and leaped up onto the roof on the building. He jumped over a few roofs and landed on the edge of a building about a block from Carmelita's office. Taking out his binocucom, he focused in on her office and saw she was still struggling to reach her front pocket where the keys were. He chuckled to himself, knowing she would be fine, and leaped up into the night and vanished from sight.

* * *

 

They were good memory's, happy memories. They were those little things that kept their abnormal relationship fresh and exciting. But all of that was in the past now, and as far as Carmelita knew, Sly Cooper the Master Thief was gone. Instead, Constable Cooper now worked with the police instead of running from them, and instead of being met with a shock pistol in his face, he would now make up to an angel lying beside him. Sly continued looking at Carmelita as she slept. He was so lucky and so happy to finally be with her. After everything that had happened between them, he was now not only living with her, but the two of them had started dating. It had taken Sly a couple of months before he finally had the courage to ask her out. He wanted to make his amnesia as real as possible, and he was scarred at first that his emotions would get the better of him and she would learn that he was lying. After some time he finally calmed himself down, and with a heart beating as fast as a drum, he asked her one night if she would like to go see a movie then get some dinner. He remembered her face, he could tell that she had been waiting for a long time for him to ask her. She was relieved and happy and accepted his offer, but not before being blunt and asking if he was in fact asking her out on a date. She had said it so sternly and direct that he wasn't sure what to say at first, but then he cleared his throat and asked if that was okay. She had smiled and kissed him on the check, telling him out cute he looked when he was nervous. He didn't like being at a loss for words, but he composed himself quickly and the two officially became a couple. Since then they had shared a bed almost every night, but they never went to the next stage. Sly had, for some ballsy reason, ask her one night if she wanted to have sex. It had taken her a bit off guard, but she explained how she was waiting until she was married. She wanted to save herself for the right person, and while she loved Sly, it just wasn't the right time. Sly was relieved to hear her answer, as truth be told he had never actually slept with another woman before. What a shock, the infamous Sly Cooper, world known Master Thief and ladies' man, the heart stealer and wooer of dames all over, was still a virgin. Sly was the only one who knew of course, even Bentley and Murry both though he had slept with at least a few foxes in his life, but like Carmelita he wanted to make sure he was with the right person. Despite not wanting to have sex, the two of them still made out with one another and slept in the same bed. They loved each other, but both were still unsure about the future. Sly didn't know that Carmelita still had her worries about Sly. Her biggest fear would be that he would remember who he was one day and leave her. She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving, not after all they had been through. Fortunately for her Sly had no intention of leaving, but she had no idea about the internal struggle he constantly had about his current life choices.

Sly had given up everything. His mask, his cane. He left his friends, the ones who had been by his side since they were kids. He gave up his whole life, all of his thieving skills and talents so that he could be with the women of his dreams, but that was not what kept him up at night. In truth, he could live with all that. It may hurt, but he knew this was the life he wanted, and if he was given the choice, he would gladly do it all over again. No, what he really felt guilty about was abandoning his family's name and purpose. He was and always will be a Cooper, he was born a thief and he was meant to die a thief. He was meant to have kids who he could pass on his ancestor's knowledge, so that they too could continue on the Cooper legacy. Now, he had thrown it all away. Thousands of generations of Coopers, and was he to be the last Master Thief to ever live? Was it all worth it, was it worth giving up everything his ancestors had lived for, just to be with someone he loved? He went through hell and back to recover the Thievius Raccoonus, and now he just threw it away like garbage. In his heart he knew he loved Carmelita and would do anything to be with her, but he also knew that he was a disgrace to the Cooper name, and he couldn't live with that. Sly looked back over the streets of Paris, his hands becoming fists. It wasn't fair he told himself! He didn't want to be the last Cooper, and he didn't want to give up his thieving ways. He wanted to love Carmelita and have kids with her and continue the Cooper legacy. He wanted to have a son who he could teach how to walk on ropes and slide down rails. A son who he could put on his knee as his father had done and tell him about his family ancestry and the adventures he had in his youth. Instead, Sly had thrown that away as well. He threw his family away, he threw his ancestors away and he had thrown his parents murders away.

Sly opened his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. His parents…he could see them now. There bloodied bodies laid before him. His father's chest slashed open as blood seeped into the carpet. His mother's neck was cut to the bone, her head only on by the skin of her neck. There mangled and trashed bodies were as clear as day in his eyes. Sly began to tear up more. His parents died to protect him. His father left him his cane so that he could continue the Cooper name, and what had Sly done. He left his father's cane perched up on some rocks that lead to a part of his family's history and walked away. Everything he had been through, everything he had achieved was because of his parents sacrifice, and he just walked away from it all like a used toy that a child throws away.

Sly's eyes were red from crying and his face wet from tears. His hands had grasped onto the railing of the Balcony, and his sadness and anger made him grip the rail as tight as possible. He didn't even realize that his grip was bending the iron bar as he continued to stare blankly off into the distance. After a moment of holding his breath and again reliving his parent's death, his body forced him to breath and he calmed down almost instantly. He looked down and released his grip and saw how bent the railing had become. He closed his eyes and bit down on his tongue, then brought his hands up to cup his head. His hands slip down and wiped away the tears as he took another deep breath. He would come up with some kind of explanation in the morning as to why the rail was bent, but right now he was tired and wanted some sleep. He took a moment to stare back up at the stars, then with a sigh he turned and walked back inside. Being careful not to wake Carmelita, he slowly pulled back the sheets of the bed and climbed in. Pulling the sheets up to his chest, he starred up at the ceiling, thinking about what he was going to do. He couldn't keep lying to her, it was eating him up on the inside. To much more of this and he was going to snap or have a heart attack. Something needed to happen, and it needed to happen soon. He had to come clean with her, but he knew if he did she would not only arrest him, but her heart would be broken. He sighed one last time and closed his eyes, sleep ready to grab him and take him away. Before he fell into the land of dreams, the image of his father appeared in his mind one last time.

" _I'm sorry dad…I'm so sorry."_

* * *

 

" _Sir, we received some sightings from airports in Washington, Denver, Tokyo and Berlin."_

" _And?"_

" _They were all boarding flights to Paris sir. It seems they mean to meet up somewhere in the city. Jonathan thinks it will be at least six to eight weeks before they all get there."_

" _Good work. Contact Alpha 6 and tell them to move to Paris. They should get there within a week and set up a base of operations. Make sure they don't act until they are all there. Once we find out who these guys are we can stop them before they even begin their search."_


	2. Another Day at Work

“Sly get up, we need to go to work. Come on Sly…SLY!”

Sly jumped from his sleep and ended rolling off the bed. Well he wouldn’t have if Carmelita had not pushed him off. He had been in a deep slumber, something he rarely had given he was a raccoon. He hadn’t had any dreams, just pure, uninterrupted sleep. He held a hand up to his head and groaned while hearing his girlfriend laugh at the other end of the room.

“Ah, the hell was that for Carmelita!” His voice was groggy and bitter having just woken up and his mouth being dry.

“Well that’s what you get for not getting up. You usually wake up before I do Sly, what gives? Having such a good dream you didn’t want it to end?”

She gave him a coy smile, hinting as to what she meant. Sly blushed slightly and glared at her, shaking his head and getting up. He looked over and saw the clock. 7:47AM. He was usually up by six each day, and they had to be at work in just under 45 minutes. Sly had to rush his morning routine. Instead of having a nice warm shower, the temperature was now mild at best thanks to Carmelita having just taken hers. With a quick shower out of the way he made sure to brush his teeth and floss, get his clothes on, and the two of them were out the door by 8:15. It was only a ten-minute drive to work so they got on just in time. By the time Sly got to his desk and started up his computer his stomach he began to grumble. He hadn’t had time to eat before leaving, so with a sigh he got up and headed to the Interpol breakroom. It was Thursday so that meant detective Peterson had brought in donuts for everyone, which made Sly happy since he hated the rest of the food Interpol had to offer. Grabbing two glaze and one cream filled donut, Sly went back to his desk and opened up his emails.

His thoughts wandered to his past again as he typed up forms and read off news reports. When he was still a thief Sly had never bothered with watching the news or surfing the web, that was Bentleys job. Sure Sly knew how a computer worked, he wasn’t an old man who thought YouTube was a construction material, but the events of the world just didn’t interest him unless he was somehow involved in it. Another reason he never cared about the news was because of how depressing it was. Sly read over an email talking about keeping an eye out for any suspicious luggage or bags that might be left out in a public space unattended while on patrol. This came a few days after another bombing in the US when a backpack bomb went off in a local park. Sly rolled his eyes. It seemed every other day there was a bombing or terrorist attack. He wondered to himself why he had been labeled in the same category as these people. He wasn’t a murderer, he didn’t terrorize people. He had helped quite a few people all over the world fight against these kids of people, yet in the eyes of the law they were all the same.

The Law. Sly chuckled in annoyance to himself. What the hell was The Law any good for. The Law let real criminals get away because there isn’t any ‘sound evidence’. The Law protects evil people more than it gives them fair justice. Sly hated The Law, that was why he had been such a good thief. He didn’t do what The Law said was right, he did what WAS right. When he had grown old enough to track down and fight the fiendish five, The Law wasn’t on his side. The Law wouldn’t touch any of those murderers until he had already beaten them and left them on a silver platter for The Law to arrest. It was pointless he told himself, the world just wasn’t a place where real justice could exist anymore. Today everything was political and about putting out a good message. Make sure not to offend anyone because if you do then you are hateful and blahblahblah. Sly thought it was all a load of shit. He was thankful however that Interpol wasn’t to much like what he hated. The chief was a pretty decent guy, so long as you didn’t get on his bad side. Anyone could tell just by looking at him or listening to him speak that he wasn’t a fan of how the mainstream way of things were handled. He knew that the only way to get ride of crime was to fight it, not pamper it and ask it nicely to stop. He made sure each of his officers were well trained and ready to fight, because real criminals won’t give you a second chance. When Sly first started working at Interpol, is first month was pure training practice. Sly knew he couldn’t use any of his thieving abilities now, but that didn’t take away his agility and reflexes. Sly was a good fist fighter and knew how to beat a guy down when he resisted. When it came to target practice however, Sly was…well he was pretty bad.

When he fired his first 45. pistol, he nearly tore a tendon in his right bicep. Years of having guns pointed at him and being shot at made him excellent at evasion, but when it came time to actually use a gun, he would have been better throwing a stick and hitting someone than he would with a bullet. He felt ashamed, partly just to keep up his fake amnesia, but also because he really was bad. Carmelita had told him that it was just a side affect of his amnesia and that over time his supposed ‘marksman intuition’ would come back to him. After a solid week of practicing in the range, Sly had gotten better and was at least hitting the targets now.

He snapped out of his day dreaming of the past and focused on his work. A few hours went by and he had gotten all 12 of his forms filled out and replied to every email he needed to. Sly looked up at the clock. 12:57PM. They didn’t get off work till four, and now he had nothing to do. He sat for a good fifteen minutes playing with a rubber band and pencil, using the band as a slingshot. He flung a pencil once that hit the back of detective Gabe’s neck. Sly’s ears flattened when Gabe turned around and glared at him, then went back to his work. Another few minutes went by until Sly heard his name being called.

“Cooper! Come see me in my office immediately.”

It was chief Barkley. To anyone who had never heard him before, they would have thought that he was angry. The truth was that was just the chiefs normal tone of voice, so Sly knew he wasn’t it trouble, or at east he hoped he wasn’t. He got up from his table and entered the chief office.

Chief Barkley was sitting at his desk looking at a letter. Inside Carmelita was already waiting and sitting in one of two seats that were in front f the chiefs desk. Sly felt a bite nervous now but closed the door behind him and sat down.

“You wanted to see me sire.”

“Yes, Cooper I did. Carmelita tell me that you have nothing to do for the next 4 hours correct?”

Sly gave Carmelita a glance and saw her give him a quick wink. He wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or not, but he answered truthfully.

“Y-Yeah. Yes sir. I finished all my forms and I don’t have much to do right now.”

“Good, that means you can go with Inspector Fox downtown to investigate a break in at a local hardware store. Should give you something to do rather than pelting detective Gabe by with pencils.”

Sly’s ears dropped low again, realizing Carmelita had been watching him and ratted him out. He was happy though that he was going to have something to do today, and he got to be with Carmelita to. The chief dismissed them and went back to reading the letter he had. Sly followed Carmelita to her car that was parked in the Interpol parking garage below the main building. Sly waited until they pulled out onto the main streets before confronting Carmelita.

“You know, you didn’t need to rat me out to the chief like that. I could have taken a nice nap until it was time to go home.”

“Yeah, I am sure that would have looked great. Imagine a reporter coming in and seeing you. ‘Breaking news: Interpol officer sleeps on the job’ yeah, that would make the chief happy.” Again her voice teased him, and Sly just folded his arms.

“Oh har har. Yeah I get your point. Anyways, where exactly are we going?”

“West side of downtown. Over by the loading docks. We got a call about a hardware and electronics store being completely cleaned out. No finger prints, no forced entry, nothin. Looks to be a professional job.”

“So then why are we going if the local police didn’t find anything?” Sly wondered.

“They want us to double check everything. Make sure nothing was over looked. Also they want us to check around the local area and see if we notice anything out of the ordinary.”

A twenty-minute drive later and Carmelita pulled up next to the store. The outside had a sign that read ‘Thomas and Bernard’s Electronics and Hardware Co.’ Carmelita and Sly got out and walked in through the front entrance. The inside was almost completely barren. There was a dozen or more shelves and racks that would have held wood and pipes, now all clean of any merchandize. The walks that would have held smaller components and light fixtures now only held useless hooks and holders. Behind the main counter Sly spotted an older looking Beagle. He wore a pair of dark blue suspenders and a worn and rough looking sweatshirt with many paint stains. He quickly stood up at seeing the two enter and noticed their badges.

“Ah detectives, thank you for coming. It has been a rough few days now that my store is barren of everything I once owned. I had to put in a huge shipment just to have enough to stock half my shelves. Pretty expensive stuff but I have to make a living somehow.”

“No need to thank us sir” Carmelita responded. “I am sure things have been difficult and we are working to find out anything we can about the people who robbed you. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Not at all, please come sit and I will tell you everything I know.”

“Thank you Mr…?”

“Bernard, but just call me Lucas.”

“Alright Lucas, lets start with the night before the break in. Oh hey Sly, go ahead and start looking around the outside of the store and see if you can find anything. You don’t mind do you Lucas?” Carmelita asked.

“No no go ahead. No one else is here so go wherever you like.”

Carmelita nodded at Cooper and she began her questioning. Cooper walked back outside and began to search around the sides of the store. Nothing seemed abnormal. No tire marks, and broken glass. None of the doors were busted in, meaning that either someone had a key or they knew how to pick a lock. Once he got to the back of the store he noticed something strange. Every few feet there was a strange indentation in the ground, like something heavy had repeatedly fell or something very big was walking by. He noticed the marks in the ground lead toward the shipping docks. Bingo he thought to himself. Keeping a paw ready on his pistol, Sly crept over to one of the large shipping garages and put his back up against the wall. Placing his ear to the aluminum door, he could faintly hear voices coming from inside. The docks were currently closed, so whoever was here was most likely their thief. Thief he thought, as if. Anyone who stole from common people that were trying to make a decent living in life wasn’t worthy of being called a thief. The difference between what Sly had been and what these people where was that Sly had morals and a code to live by. People who stole from civilians were spineless rats who deserved to be locked up. Pushing his thoughts aside, Sly made his way around the back of the warehouse to see if there was a back door. Luckily there was, and it was unlocked. Grabbing his gun and flipping the safety off, just in case, Sly slowly and stealthfully made his may inside. Just because he wasn’t a thief anymore did nothing to dull his thief-like senses.

Inside, the warehouse was pretty well lit, which worked for and against him. He kept to the wall as he sneaked his way down to the main packaging area. As he grew closer he could begin to hear more voices. There were two of them from what he could hear. It was hard to discern a tone or deepness, but one was clearly more nasally than the other. He finally reached the corner of the warehouse and stood flush up against the wall, gun loaded and ready. He waited for a second listening the two talk but he was unsure as to what it was about without context. Sly took a deep breath the flung himself around the corner, gun pointed strait at the two robbers.

“FREEZE!” Sly yelled at them.

Both figures went still and quite at hearing the previously unknown officer’s demand. Sly saw both of them had there back turned to him and were wearing either big coats or some kind of other drape over there bodies. The first figure was very short and broad, Sly thought it might be a very fat Koala or maybe even a penguin, but he had no idea at the moment. The second figure was a very big one, towering several feet over the other, a solid seven feet at least, one foot more than Sly. Behind them he could see a van loaded with plywood and boards, as well as computer chips and monitors. These were defiantly the guys they were looking for. There must have been a lot of stuff they stole if they were still here loading things up three days after the initial robbery.

“Alright both of you, hands up and on your heads, NOW!”

“Okay okay, just don’t shoot!”

The voice had sounded familiar, but Sly wasn’t sure why. He watched as both figures raised their arms and placed their hands behind their heads. Sly noticed how the larger figure’s arms were solid pink, while the shorter ones were green with a scaly texture. It…no…no it couldn’t be.

“Turn around slowly, no sudden movements.”

The two figures did as Sly asked and turned to face him slowly. Sly’s almost dropped his gun when he saw them. There was no mistake now, he knew who these two master criminals were.

“SLY?!”

Both Bentley and Murry said in unison at seeing their old friend. Everyone’s eyes had widened as they stared at one another. Sly took a second to look over his old pals. First off, Murry had gained a bit of weight it seemed, and not more muscles. His stomach was more rounded then before, but he still remained a buff and strong hippo, just maybe not as much anymore. Bentley of course was still in his wheelchair, though it was a much more high-tech and mobile one. Sly couldn’t see it, but there was a built in holographic computer and keyboard with the latest Intel processor and graphics processing chip, along with a host of gadgets and tools that would make him a formidable fight if he had to be. His chair could easily make him a rip-off Dr. Octopus. While Sly inspected his friends, they inspected him. Sly had not changed much in appearance since they last saw him. Sly had always been lean and fit, though since he wasn’t running on rooftops and vaulting over alleyways he had gained a bit of weight. It was weird seeing Sly without his mask. His natural raccoon appearance still gave the look of him wearing one, but it just wasn’t the same look, and it wasn’t there Sly. Instead of seeing a Master Thief equipped with his iconic hooked cane, blue elbow-sleeved shirt with a yellow collar, blue boots, blue gloves with yellow cuffs, and a blue cap, Murry and Bentley saw a cop uniform with their friends face and body stuck inside. Sly Cooper, world renowned thief and vigilantly, now sported the same uniform every officer in Paris had. Same look, same gun, even the same stance as he pointed his gun at the two. Sly’s fashion appearance had changed so drastically that he was barely recognizable to his old self, but his eyes remained the same, and that is what Bentley noticed first.

“Sly, is that really you?” Bentley asked nervously, but more out of shock and building joy.

“Sly little buddy!” cried Murry “Oh my god Sly where have you been all this time?!”

Sly had no idea what to say. He was in shock for a variety of reasons. The first of course being he was seeing his friends after just over a year after he left them. The second big reason being that, while his heart was overjoyed to see them, his mind was shattered as to what to do next. As much as Sly had wanted to see his friends again, now that they had met things just got a lot more complicated. He wanted to drop his gun and run over to hug them, but his will to keep up his fake amnesia kept his body stiff.

“Sly? Sly what is going on? W-Why are you pointing a gun at us?...Sly?

“I…I don’t…I don’t know w-what you’re talking about. I don’t…I don’t know either of you. S-stay there and don’t…m-move.”

Sly’s voice was shaken. Every instinct in his body told him to drop the act and embrace his friends. But his fear of losing the one thing he truly loved in the world kept him from doing what he knew was right. Sly didn’t know what he could do. He couldn’t acknowledge that he knew them because that would be the end of his perfect life. He couldn’t stay here with them because they would try and make him come back with them. He couldn’t arrest them, mainly because he hadn’t the will power to do so, also the fact that Murry would most likely just knock him out and take him anyway. He needed to just leave and forget he ever saw them. God he thought, just let me put a bullet in my head for that being my only option. Just the other night he had a meltdown because he wanted his old life back, and now, when his old life was being given back to him freely on a silver platter, he couldn’t take it and he couldn’t let it go. Sly was just frozen in place as his mind raced from one thought to another, not one solid idea of what to do came. What felt like an eternity of just standing there was only a few seconds before he heard Bentley speak again.

“Sly please, we are your friends. We know that you have been faking your amnesia all this time. Please just put down the gun and talk to us.”

Sly’s arms began to shake. He felt sick, the world was spinning around him. He didn’t know what to do or what to say, and he didn’t even realize that his finger was now on the trigger and ready to shoot his gun. He didn’t know that he had already decided on what needed to be done. His mind raced with what to do, but one thought stayed constant and was beginning to manifest itself. The only way to be free of his past life, the life he wanted so badly, was to get rid of anything that could bring him back to it, and in this instance, the only thing he could think of doing was shooting his friends. He wasn’t consciously thinking of shooting them, but the part of him that wanted to stay with Carmelita was winning any other struggle he had. His finger began to slowly press down on the trigger, and that is when he saw it. Bentley and Murry had noticed how Sly was shaking, and Bentley deduced he was having an internal crisis as to what to do. Bentley understood that Sly was living a double life, and that sort of thing can eat at a man’s soul, especially when it comes to love. But Bentley never could have thought that Sly would ever be so desperate as to shoot his own friends. For the first time ever Sly saw true fear in his friend’s eyes, and he was the cause of it. Seeing that fear pushed away any other thought he had and he dropped his gun to the floor. It landed and of course ended up firing, sending a bullet whizzing past Murry and colliding with a box in the corner of the warehouse. Sly had been unfazed by the sound of the gun going off, but both Bentley and Murry had ducked down the moment they head the bang. After realizing neither of them were dead, they got up and saw Sly standing in the same spot, tears beginning to run down his face as he dashed over and collided with his friends, embracing them with his arms as he began to sob. Murry and Bentley quickly returned the embrace and began to sob a themselves. Sly then spoke as he choked on tears.

“I-I’m….I’m s-s-so s-sorry guys. I-I…I didn’t know what to do or-or what came ov-over me.”

Bentley and Murry pardoned Sly and told him it wasn’t his fault. Murry may not have had Bentleys brains, but when it came to emotions and matters of the heart he understood what Sly was going through and what he must have felt when he saw his friends again. After about a good minute of sobbing, Sly was able to start breathing normally again and just began to laugh. All he could do was laugh at himself at his own stupidity. He would have shot them, and for what? Of all the stupid idea’s Sly had in his life, that was by far the worst and could have been the most detrimental to him. Now he just laughed, trying to make the situation better. Bentley and Murry laughed as well, but more because they had there friend back. It didn’t even occur to them that they might have just almost died.

“Man guys I am…I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me just then. It was like I saw a ghost and my only reaction was to kill it…hehe” Sly rubbed the back of his neck and tried to lighten up the mood. Bentley replied after a quick sneeze.

“Yeah well, if you had killed us then I would make sure we did come back as ghosts to haunt you Sly. At least then you could never be rid of us.”

“I missed you to Bentley but…what are you guys doing here? Were you the ones who robbed the hardware store?”

“Well sort of” Bentley replied and began to explain. “We actually didn’t rob it per say. He saw the place get robbed in the middle of the night by a bunch of G.I. Joe looking guys. They cleaned the place out in a matter of minutes and hauled it all over to this warehouse. We watched as they brought over a truck and began to fill it up. Turns out they didn’t have enough room to taking everything with them at once, so they left a bunch of it behind. We thought they would be back later or the next day but they never showed up, so I had Murry bring the van over and we were going to take whatever we could of what was left. I already left some money in the register back at the store for the stuff that we took, just to give the guy a bit of compensation.”

“Well that is great and all but you guys need to leave now. I…I can’t be seen talking to you guys.”

“What ae you talking about Sly” Murry asked in his usual loud yet caring voice. “Your coming back with us, right?”

“No Murry I’m…not. Look I gave up on being a thief so I could be with Carmelita. I can’t let her figure out that I have been lying to her or else we all end up in jail. I’m sorry but I can’t go back…not now.”

“Sly you can’t be serious!” Bentley yelled “You’re thee Sly Cooper, Master Thief. Thieving is in your blood; your whole family are thieves. You can’t just give that all up!”

“I can and I have Bentley. I am done running from the police and from my feelings. I faked my amnesia so that I could be with Carmelita. I love her and I want to be with her. If I had to do it again I would. Now you both need to leave now before she-”

“Sly?”

Everyone froze in place, and Sly’s heart dropped to his feet. They all knew that voice, they had heard it for years now. Every time they were together she was always there. From one end of the world to another she was alright right behind them. Sly turned around and saw Carmelita standing where he had been. His gun was at her feet where he had dropped it, and he saw her own shock pistol held out in front of her, aimed at the three of them. Her arms began to shake and she slowly lowered her pistol. Sly could see the tears beginning to form.

“You…faked it?”

* * *

 

“Any word from Vrook yet?”

“Nope. Last thing I got was his letter he sent to us. I still can’t believe we are doing this. Why should we care about _him_ now?”

“ _He_ is responsible for us becoming what we are today. Whatever _his_ reasons were, enough time has passed. We own _him_ more than our lives.”

“Yeah…I know, I miss _him_ to. Any word on where _she_ might be?”

“No clue. I just hope the kids are safe. They are so much like _him_.”

“Especially the girl…Come on, we got a plane to catch. If all goes well everyone should be in Paris within the next 3 weeks.”


	3. Reflection of Thy Self

The squad began unpacking the stolen supplies and hauling it into the abandoned warehouse. There were fourteen in total. Special Black Ops agents that were some of the best the US government had to offer. There captain was a short, gold furred Jackal that seemed relatively harmless, but he had earned his place and no one questioned his orders. He watched his men bring in the stolen computers and hardware supplies. It was enough to set up communications and build a bit of storage and furniture, so they didn’t end up having to sit on the ground for the next 2 months. The jackal pulled out a phone from a pocket in the black tracksuit he wore and called into headquarters.

“Sir, this is Jenkins. We have found an abandoned warehouse in the middle of Paris near the Tower and are beginning to set up. We should have some networking servers ready in a few hours.”

“Good work captain, you are ahead of schedule as always. Lay low for the next few weeks until we confirm they are all in Paris. Once they are it is your job to find out where they will be meeting. Don’t disappoint me Jenkins.”

“Understood sir. We will lay low from now on and await further instructions. Jenkins out.”

With the conversation over Jenkins dropped his phone and smashed in on the ground. No evidence could remain. If anyone in France learned about them, it could spell disaster for US political ties with the rest of the world.

 

* * *

 

“Carmelita please, let me explain!”

“Explain what Sly?! That you have been lying to me for the past year? That everything you said and did was just so you could get inside Interpol and learn our secrets!”

Carmelita was furious, and heartbroken. She had heard the loud bang when Sly dropped his gun and ran to see what had happened. Her worst fear was that someone had shot Sly, but now it looked like she was going to be the one to do just that. How could he have lied to her? How could she have been so stupid as to believe him? For an entire year she believed he had lost his memory about who he really was, and because of that the two of them finally were able to express their true feelings for one another. Now all her heart felt was sadness and betrayal. She loved him, she knew she did. He had told her he loved her as well, but was that all a lie as well? Did she really mean something to him, or did he just use her for his own needs, and when he was done with her he would just discard her like used napkin. These are the thoughts that ran through her and manifested as pure rage toward Sly. She kept her eyes locked with his and her shock pistol pointed right at his head. If she was going to shoot him, not only would she make sure she hit him this time, but she was going to make sure it hurt…a lot.

“That isn’t why I lied Carmelita, please hear me out before things get out of control.”

“Out of control?! Things are well ‘Out of Control’ now Cooper. I should shoot you and your criminal friends right now and throw you all in maximum security for the rest of your lives!”

“Please Carmelita, give me thirty seconds to say what I need to say.”

“You have ten, now start talking!”

Sly took a step towards her but quickly backed off when she shot of a shock round at his feet. He looked up at her with pleading eyes, only to be met with fire and rage in hers.

“Everything I did Carmelita, I did to be with you. When we were fighting Dr. M, all I was thinking about was keeping you safe. When I saw him shoot that energy bolt at you I did the only thing I could. I couldn’t watch you die. When I came to I was dazed and confused, and for that moment I really had no idea where we were or who I was. When I heard you tell me I was your partner I realized what you were doing and I saw that as my chance to be with you. When we escaped the vault I left everything behind so that I could be with you.”

“Oh I am sure that is why you did it Sly.” She replied with a snort and growl. “You gave up your entire life and friends in a matter of seconds just so you could ‘be with me’? That has to be the dumbest excuse I have ever heard!”

“It is the truth Carmelita!” There was a clear bit of defensiveness and anger in his voice. “This was never about getting into Interpol or trying to deceive you into think I had changed. I might have lied about my amnesia, but everything I feel for you is real. Carmelita…I lov-”

“Don’t you DARE say it you thieving rat! You don’t love me, you never have! When you kissed me on the mountain after we defeated ClockWerk, I actually thought you cared about me, but that was just a trick so you could slip away. All these years of flirting with me, telling me how beautiful I was, making me nervous and unsure of myself and my abilities, that was all just so you could slip away time and time and keep me from focusing on catching you. Well, I am done falling for your tricks Sly Cooper. You are nothing but a pathetic, conniving, self-centered egotistical criminal! What kind of family actively encourages their children to becoming filthy thieves that steal from innocent people!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY FAMILY!”

Sly yelled at her. No, he didn’t yell, he screamed at her. Her fur stood on end at hearing such an outburst from Sly. In all the years they had known each other, Carmelita had never seen or heard Sly this angry. Bentley and Murry were in even more shock. They had known Sly since he was just eight years old when they met at the orphanage, and in all that time up until now they had never see such rage and hatred come from him.

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I HAVE GONE THROUGH, WHAT MY FAMILY HAS HAD TO ENDURE. WE HAVE BEEN HUNTED FOR HUNDREDS OF GENERATIONS, BEING PICKED OFF ONE BY ONE. CLOCKWERK KILLED MY ANCESTORS, HE KILLED MY PARENTS IN FRONT OF ME!”

Sly began to move towards Carmelita. She was to in shock to say or do anything.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE TO HEAR YOUR PARENTS SCREAMS AS THEY ARE CUT TO PIECES? TO WATCH AS YOUR PARENTS ARE BUTCHERED AND SLAUGHTERED BEFORE YOUR EYES? I WATCHED THE BLOOD SPEWED FROM MY MOTHER’S NECK AS THAT PSYCHOTIC BIRD TORE HIS TALONS THREW HER SKIN. I SAW MY FATHER’S CHEST GET RIPPED TO PIECES AS CLOCKWERK DUG INTO HIM AND RIPPED OUT HIS HEART. I LISTENED TO HIS SCREECHING LAUGHTER AS HE THREW THEIR LIFELESS BODIES TO THE FLOOR AND STOLE PAGES FROM THE GREATEST HERLOOM OF THE COOPER FAMILY.”

By now Sly was just a foot away from her. Carmelita was shaking. She had never seen Sly this enraged before and it terrified her. She was like a kid in a corner being screamed at by her father for doing something wrong. She half expected him to hit her, but no such action came. Sly continued to yell but his voice wasn’t as loud now. The pain, however, remained in full.

“I swore to myself that day that I would put an end to ClockWerk and those who followed him. He had taken everything from me, as he had done to so many Coopers in the past. The older I got, the more I was determined to find and end ClockWerk and the fiendish five once and for all. If it wasn’t for me, you would have never been able to arrest any of them. Not Raleigh, not Mugshot, not Mz. Ruby, not the Panda King, none of them! I took matters into my own hands because The Law would not. If The Law had done its job in the first place then my parents may still have been alive today.”

Sly’s tone began to lower and he reached down and grabbed Carmelita’s hand and held it in his. She was to afraid to pull away and did shift her gaze from his.

“All my life I have tried to honor my family name. I learned to be a thief because it is who I am, and I stopped those who would see my family’s name ripped from history. I have accomplished what no other Cooper has accomplished before…and I would give up it all to be with you.

The anger in Sly’s voice had all but diminished when he spoke those last words. He stood before Carmelita and looked into her almond eyes. Whatever else needed to be said was said by his gaze. Carmelita knew Sly was telling the truth, he had never been more truthful about anything in his life. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, unsure about what to do next. Sly’s body finally gave out from his anger and sadness, and he dropped to his knees before Carmelita. His head hung low with his ears against his head. He was exhausted, and his body couldn’t support him for much longer without rest. Carmelita just looked down at him, her pistol had dropped to the floor and her hands still clung to where he had held her moments ago. She had no idea what to say. She had never heard an outburst like that from Sly before. She knew he had been an orphan from a young age, but she never knew the whole story until now. No child should have had to go through what Sly went through. No one should have to watch their parents murdered before there eyes, and know that the one who murdered them was also responsible for several of his ancestors murders as well. Sly had a broken past, one that could never be fully healed, and she felt guilt for having insulted his judged his parents as bad people. Despite being thieves, the Cooper family was one of the most noble of all ancient houses. Sure, they looked out mainly for themselves, and from what Carmelita could remember from when they were in the vault, the Coopers had amassed an amazing wealth of stolen goods from all over the world, but that didn’t make them bad people. Even in the earliest of civilizations, the Coopers never wished to harm innocents and they certainly never murdered rival families out of jealousy. The Coopers were just normal people that simply had a very particular set of skills that set them apart from others. It wasn’t their fault society had deemed them outlaws and criminals.

Sly took deep breaths has he tried to control himself. After a few seconds he closed his eyes and breathed deeply one more, then looked up into Carmelita’s eyes one last time.

“Everything I did, I did because I love you Carmelita. I threw away everything for you; my friends, my family, my future. I did it all for you because I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You are the most amazing women I have ever met, and if I was given the choice to do it all over again, I would. Please…please just know that no matter what may have happened, I have and I always will love you, Carmelita Fox.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she almost fainted right there on the spot. She began to breath rapidly as fresh tears swelled up in her eyes. It was true, he loved her, and she loved him. After all they had been through, now, when it really mattered, he showed her who he really was. It was to much for Carmelita, she was going to have a heart attack if she stayed any longer. With a tear rolling down her face, she clutched her eyes close and ran as fast as she could. Sly reached out for her as she ran back down the warehouse hallway, but he grasped only air, and he collapsed forward onto the cold concrete flooring. His body was done trying to keep him awake. He had spent all of his energy and now his body was hutting down. The world went dark and cold, and he wished that this nightmare he was experiencing would just end already.

* * *

 

Three weeks later, and neither one of them had seen the other. Bentley and Murry had picked Sly up and put them in the van. When they got back to the safehouse they waited for Sly to wake up. He did a couple hours later and asked to be left alone. He sulked in his old room for 3 days, barely eating or sleeping. All he could think about was what he had said and where he was now. He had never really confronted his past before and that had led to over twenty years of bottled up emotions. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that one day he would go off, he just never expected to take out all of his aggression on Carmelita. A lot of his memory was foggy of that day, all he remembered was getting enraged and screaming at the top of his lungs. The one thing he remembered clear as day was seeing how frightened Carmelita was. Sly and Carmelita had there witty arguments and banter over the years, but he had never screamed at her, or anyone that matter, the way he did that day. Sly felt disgusted with himself, how could he have stooped to such a level. He always had a clear mind, and even when Carmelita had been in danger, he kept his cool even in near-death situations and always came out on top. This had been one of the few times where Sly had been truly vulnerable. If she had wanted to, Carmelita could have arrested him on the stop and he would have had no energy or will to fight back. He was glad she didn’t, but he knew things could never be the same again. He laid in bed for two days thinking about his life and where he was now. He had accepted that fact that he would always be seen as a criminal, but that didn’t stop him from feeling like an outcast from the rest of society. After the third day of laying around, Sly knew he needed to clear his head and keep moving forward. His perfect life with Carmelita was over. Now, he was a thief again, and it was his duty to himself and his ancestors to continue on the family business. He also owned it to his friends. They brought him back home and cared for him. They were his family now, and he owned them his life more times than he could count. He got up and went to change into his old clothes. They still fit, for the most part. They were a bit tighter then before since he had gained a few extra pounds over the last year. Once he was dressed, he pulled on his old mask and flipped on his hat. Looking himself over in the mirror, he couldn’t help but smile. This was who he was, this was Sly Cooper, Master Thief. He then noticed his cane was sitting beside his family book, the Thievius Raccoonus. He looked at the book and gave a somber smile. This was all that was left of the Cooper legacy. He took a deep breath then reached for his cane. Bentley must have kept it cleaned, as there was no dust to be found on the polished hook. Twirling it around in his fingers, he gave out a breath of gladness as his old reflexes returned to him. It was a new day he told himself. Time to get out there and steal some stuff.

* * *

 

Carmelita’s life was in shambles. When he returned to work without Sly, Chief Barkley knew something was wrong. She reluctantly explained everything to him, her head was down the whole time as she couldn’t bare to look him in the eyes. Barkley was naturally furious with what had happened, but he noticed how torn up the vixen before him was. The chief had taken a good minute to calm himself, inhaling a whole cigar before telling Carmelita that it wasn’t her fault. Carmelita replied to the chief with a tear-choking voice saying that it was her fault and that she should have known he was lying. Barkley told her that Sly had fooled them all, and there was no way she could have known he was lying. Carmelita didn’t say anything; her heart was broken, and her mind was lost. The chief knew Carmelita had feelings for Sly, and he knew how much this must have hurt her. He told her to take the next week off, with part time pay, so that she could deal with her emotions and figure out what she was going to do next. He knew she needed time to process this, but he needed her back as soon as possible. Crime did not stop or anyone. Barkley was going to have enough work to do now that he had to explain to his superiors that Sly Cooper was now a thief once more and he dismissed him from his office before she could say anymore. When Carmelita returned to her apartment, she fell into the embrace of her bed and began to sob wildly. How she wished he was there with her, even now, just to comfort her. She didn’t care if he was a thief, she didn’t care if he had lied to her. She just didn’t want to be alone anymore. For the next 24 hours eh did nothing by cry out her soul onto her bed, soaking it with her tears and sweat. All she wanted was to have him back, to feel his warm embrace and let her know everything was going to be alright. Once she could no longer cry she finally gave into her bodies needs and fell asleep. She slept until three in the after noon the next day, but she never got out of bed. All she thought about was looking into his eyes when he screamed at her. There was anger and hatred like she had never seen, but behind it all was a great sadness that she never knew existed. All her life she had pushed him away and tried to put him behind bars, and for what? Because he did what needed to be done? Because he went out and fought the bad guys that no one else could? Sly wasn’t a villain, and he wasn’t a hero. He was a thief that had a broken past, and the weight of his family’s name on his shoulders, but that didn’t make him a bad person. Sly never wanted to hurt anyone, but that didn’t stop him from fighting those who did him or his friends wrong. Sly was such a complicated yet simple person, and maybe that was why she was so attracted to him. He was someone who believed in what was right, same as her; but he was not bound by the law the same way she was. He broke the law for his own gain yes, but he wasn’t an evil person. He stole things and sold them for money yes, but he only stole things that could afford to be stolen. His words echoed in her mind, ‘I only steal from other thieves Carmelita. I never steal from those who don’t deserve it.’ He was right. He was alright right. Why did he have to be right? Why couldn’t he be just another dumb pawn who stole solely for money and power.

Carmelita tossed in her sleep as she thought about him. He was the perfect man. He was hansom, strong, determined, and he fought for what was right. She loved him as he loved her…but how could things ever be the same again. The truth was they couldn’t, they never would be the same again. She had to decide now if she could live with Sly being a thief. Could she really love someone who broke the law? Someone who defied her views on the black and white reality of the world. Could she love someone who made life grey and unpredictable? She smiled in her sleep, remembering one of the nights they had made out with each other. Things had gone farther then she might have liked. His shirt was off and she got to see just how ripped and well-built the raccoon was. He was passionate and caring, but the moment she told him to stop he did without a second thought. He respected her, and never pushed her into doing something she didn’t want to do. She dreamed about the many times he had saved her life. He saved her from ClockWerk’s gas chamber and from Contessa’s hypnosis. He put his life on the line to save her, and in return all she did was try and arrest him for stealing some stupid rock or old relic no one cared about. Yes, she thought to herself, I can love him. I do love him. I love him as a thief, it is who he is. Carmelita knew now she could never change that, so why bother trying. Carmelita woke up the next morning and saw that it had been three days since she had come home from work. She looked out the window and saw the sun rising over the city and she smiled. It was a new day, and Carmelita had a new outlook on life. First thing she did was get a shower. She was filthy from bathing in her own sweat and tears for three days. After that, she found a clean pair of clothes and got ready to go to work. She didn’t care what the chief said, she was more than ready to get back out there and bust criminals. With her vest and jacket on, she looked at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but smile. This was her, this was Carmelita Montoya Fox. She reached over to grab her shock pistol, only to realize it wasn’t there. She then remembered she had dropped in when Sly had grabbed her hand back at the docks. Oh well, I can just grab a new one at work he told herself. She looked back out over the city of Paris and thought about what she would do when she saw Cooper again. She knew the first thing she would do…make that the second thing. First, she needed to apologize to him for what she had said. Her words had hurt him, and at the very least he deserved an apology. She then smirked and starred at her messy bedroom. The second thing was going to make sure she had her shock pistol set to the highest setting possible and zap that blasted Ringtail for putting her threw all this hardship. After that…she was going to tell him how much she loved him, and that she could finally accept him for who he was. Hopefully that would distract him long enough so she could slip her handcuffs on him and drag him away. Not to jail of course, then she would really loose him forever. No, she was going to drag him back to her place so he could clean up her home and apologize for yelling at her like he did. She could see it now, ringtail walking around the house in a French maid outfit with a feather duster, all the while begging for forgiveness from her. Oh would that be priceless, not to mention perfect blackmail material. She would find Cooper soon, and when she did she was going to set things right. 

* * *

 

The large wolf made his way through the crowded airport. It had been a sixteen our flight to Paris, and he was glad to finally be off that damn plane. The giant wolf looked around, trying to notice anyone who might be waiting for him to get off the plane. He stood out a bit due to his unusual height, but that was to be expected. Most people believed that Dire Wolves were a long extinct species, but there was still a handful of them left. Ironic that the last Dire Wolves on earth all knew each other and were coming to meet with one another. Much of the Dire wolfs features were hidden under his clothes and hat he wore. The only clear thing was that his face was dark with his mouth and neck being a greyish white. He continued toward where his luggage would be waiting for him and grabbed his suitcase off of the rolling belt. Having gather all of his belongings, he headed out to the street to find out where he should go from here. The streets around the airport were crowded, as always, but being taller then most was able to clearly see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. He always wanted to visit the tower, and he was sure he could find an abandoned apartment or warehouse where he and the others could meet up and begin planning. It had been a long time since any of them had spoken to each other, too long in fact. Despite what had happened in the past, it was time to move on and do what the could to help their old friend. He was out there somewhere, watching, waiting. None of them knew why he had betrayed them, but there was always a good reason for what he did, and he had scarified himself so that they could all escape. Today was a new day the wolf told himself, and yesterdays wars are over. He waved down a cab and with some difficulty climbed in and directed the driver toward the icon symbol of France. Many things were about to change, and no one would be ready for the outcome that would follow.


	4. things Just Keep Getting Better

The light of the moon illuminates the city of Paris. It was one of those nights where the moon was full, the stars shined bright, and all was right in the world. The pale light also made it easier for the young raccoon to scout out the museum. Sly focused in are a pair of guards through his binocucom that stood guarding the main entrance. Strange that a museum would have guards so heavily armed keeping watch outside, what with there military grade body armor, M4 assault rifles, and let’s not forget the fact that they were hired thugs being paid to keep a look out while the inside was being stripped clean.

“Looks like they are expecting someone. Guess we better scrap this heist guys. Better luck next time.”

“I never thought you were the type to give up so easily Sly.” Bentley replied through the binocucom. “But if you insist we can call it quits.”

“Oh good, I was thinking of going to get a massage anyway.”

“Enough fooling around Sly. I have analyzed the museums security and it seems they really beefed it up since the last time you were there. It’s going to be tricky, but you should be able to pull this off without getting caught.”

Sly scoffed.

“When have I ever been caught Bentley? Just because I haven’t pulled off a heist in a while doesn’t mean I have lost my touch. Now how should I get it?”

“Yeah well we will see if that’s true. Head up onto the roof and see if you can find an air vent. You should be able to crawl through the vents and pop out right on top of the sapphires location.”

“Got it, I’ll let you know when I am in.”

Sly placed his binocucom in his side holster and made his away across the nearby rooftops. It felt good to be back out and doing when he loved. Even after a year of vacation, the Master Thief still had it, though he did have to review a bit in the Thievius Raccoonus to remember all of his ancestor’s tricks. He had almost lost his footing when trying to perform his ninja ancestor, Rioichi Cooper’s signature Ninja Spire Jump. He was a little upset he had not been able to do it perfectly on his first try, but that was the price he had paid to be with Carmelita. Now however, he was back to him old self, and he was a master one again. Using the ninja spire jump, Sly leaped up and landed with perfect grace on the rooftop of the museum. Carefully looking down through a skylight, Sly saw two more guards along with an old, creepy looking ferret. The ferret was actually the museums current owner, having bought it from the city under the guise of wanting to make it more popular and attractable to tourists. The truth he was just a greedy rat who wanted to sell the priceless artifacts within so he could get rich. Typical, and stupid Sly thought to himself. That was the only reason people stole anymore, to get rich. Greed was truly one of the worst sins, and it had been the downfall of many great empires of old.

Sly shook his head and focused. Half of the museum was already cleared out. The artifacts had been moved onto trucks that were parked behind the museum. Murray would have already taken out the drivers, meaning that all Sly had to do was take out the ferret and his lackies. They weren’t here to steal everything from the museum, mainly because they would have to where to hid it all, but also because that was not how they worked. They were here for a very specific item, the Royal Sapphire, one that had belonged to a great Swedish king that ruled however many years ago. Sly didn’t care much about sapphire’s history, but he was glad Bentley had found a respectable buyer who would be returning the fancy rock back to it’s rightful owners, once they had it of course. The anonymous buyer was willing to pay them 50k to steal the sapphire for him, and that kind of money just couldn’t be passed up.

Sliding back from the skylight, Sly slinked around until he found a broken vent fan that led into the main ventilation system. Pulling his stomach in, Sly inched his way in and slowly made his way through the vents, not making any sort of sound as he did so. Coming to a T in the system, he reached down and pulled on his binocucom.

“Alright Bentley, I’m in the ventilation system. Where do I go from here?”

 Sly heard the rapid beating of a keyboard before receiving his answer.

“Take a right, then another right. Keep going until you hit the third grate. You should be right above the display case and see the sapphire.”

Sly had been moving while Bentley was talking and was already where he needed to be. Below him was the small glass display case. It was untouched along with most of the stuff in the room, meaning the ferret had not come to claim it yet. Sly carefully lifted up the metal grate and placed it to his side. Pulling out a small device, he stuck on end to the ventilation above him and the other end to his back. With it in place he jumped down and ended up hanging in the air, the device being a sort of bungy and held his weight. Giving it a tug, he was slowly lowered down until he was right in front of the case. Bentley had already shut down any lasers or alarms, so now all Sly had to do was steal his prize and be on his way. He pulled out a small knife that had a laser edge and slowly cut a whole in the glass. Once he had cut threw he placed a gloved hand, which had a small suction cup in the palm, on the cut piece and slowly pulled it away. With the hole now open he reached in and grabbed the sapphire. It was strangely cut like a cube, but it made it seem more like one of a kind that way. Placing the cube in his pouch, Sly pulled out one of his signature calling card and placed it inside the display case. Satisfied with his work, he positioned the piece of glass in his hand back into where it had been cut, and using the same tool Bentley made it, he reversed his initial cutting motion which fixed back up the glass good as new. He placed his device away and gave a tub on his bungy cord expecting to be lifted back up. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Sly tried again, but had the same result as before. Grumbling to himself, he detached himself from the cord and landed on his feet. Some of Bentley’s toys had a track record for not working. It seemed this was one of those toys. With his escape route now out of reach, Sly stood and thought for a moment. His ear twitched a few seconds into his thinking when he heard the click of a pistol. Turing around he found the creepy as all hell ferret pointing a gun as the raccoon, as well as his two hired guns. The old man had a devilish grin on his face that made Sly want to puke.

“Well well well,” the old man said with a horrid and dry voice. “The famous Sly Cooper. Come to steal from my museum have you?”

“Well it’s not like you aren’t doing the same thing. By the way, how old are you? You’ve got to be at least two if not three hundred years old. And when was the last time you took a bath, yeesh.”

Sly held his nose closed with his fingers. The ferret really did stink, and it amazed Sly that the two guards could stand being around him. The old crook lost his smirk and glared at the thieving raccoon.

“So disrespectful. When I was your age I would have gotten beat for speaking to my elders that way…now. Hand me the sapphire and I promise my guards will give you a quick and clean death.”

“Yeah, I am sure everything was so much better back in the dark ages old timer. Sorry, but I already got a buyer on hold for this pretty little rock, so if you want it…”

Sly twirled his cane around then shifted his stance, ready to pounce.

“Come and get it.”

The two guards were just about to shoot at Sly when suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by a quick flash of light behind the two guards. Both of them then tensed up and began shaking for a few seconds before falling to the floor unconscious. Sly’s thieving instincts kicked in, and he jumped up into the air and headed toward the ferret. Before the old man could react Sly had his cane hooked around the ferret’s arm and yanked the gun from his grasp. Twirling around he used the blunt end of his cane to send the ferret falling backwards and into the high-heeled foot of one fiery orange-red vixen. Carmelita Fox had knocked the old timer out with her powerful kick, and now she stood with her shock pistol pointed at Sly. Sly had spun around after his second attack and hadn’t noticed Carmelita standing there. When he came back around he found himself starring down the barrel of a standard issued Interpol shock pistol. It took his mind only a fraction of a second to realize what had happened and who he was looking at. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. He knew there was a chance he would see her tonight, but he never expected to be this close to her, or her this close to him. The two locked eyes with one another as Sly’s mind began to race. Normally he would have something witty or smart to say, but in this case he was to afraid to speak. Carmelita noticed he was being quiet and her mouth curved into a smirk.

“So Cooper, looks like I finally got you. What? No witty remark or flattery this time?”

Her voice was not what Sly had expected. It was light and carefree, almost playful. Sly stuttered to find his words.

“C-Carmelita...I uh…um…I mean…”

“Ah, what’s this? Fox got your tongue Ringtail?

She was definitely teasing. He was even more at a loss for words. Things were all turned around. He was always confident in these kinds of situations and he always had something smart to say. Now, Sly’s mind was racing with a thousand questions that had a thousand questions. He expected her to be furious, or sad, or even totally emotionless. Instead here she was, Carmelita Fox, top Interpol detective, the woman he had flirted with for so many years and who wanted to see him rot in rail…and now after everything that had happened, after everything he had done to her, she was teasing HIM. Sly took a moment to swallow the lump in his throat before finally being able to speak.

“I…I don’t understand. You’re not mad or-”

“Shhh” she quieted him, her voice low “Don’t ruin the moment. Just play along as always.”

Carmelita gave Sly and wink which sent his heart beating fast. After a few seconds of realization, he relaxed himself and gave her a warm smile. He then cleared his throat and slowly raised his hands up.

“Well…it seems you have finally caught me Inspector Fox, after all these years. It seems you really are the greatest detective in all Interpol, maybe in all of France.”

His voice was much more relaxed, and it carried a tone of happiness and peace. Carmelita pushed her pistol into his chest, but he felt her arm was relaxed and knew she had no intention of shooting him. With her other hand she grabbed him by his collar and pulled him near, there noses almost touching.

“I have always been the greatest, and don’t you forget it criminal. You’re MY thief, and no one but me gets to catch you.”

The way she had said ‘MY thief’ made his heart melt. Never in his life did he think he would hear here say those words in such a way. All his years if flirting could never compare to the impact of her words on him. Could this really be happening? Could she really have forgiven him, after everything they had been through, everything he had done. He prayed this was truth, his mind still had doubts, but his heart told him it was real. He closed his eyes and leaned in to steal a kiss, but his lips her met with a cold finger instead.

“Oh no you don’t. You haven’t earned that yet.”

Her voice was stern but full of love. Sly pulled back and smiled, slightly nodding his head in acceptance. She then leaned in close to his ear and whispered.

“You have three seconds. Run.”

Carmelita pushed the Master Thief away and looked at him with warm eyes. Sly was a bit caught of guard but quickly took her up on her offer. Giving her a wink this time, Sly ran off down the hallway and made his way towards the stairs. Two seconds later he heard the sound of her heels as they ran after him. Making his may to the top floor, Sly found an open window and vaulted through. As he did he hooked his cane onto the ledge above him, and his momentum made him swing up and backwards into the air. Doing a midair summersault Sly landed flat on his feet. His perfect landing was short lived however as he heard a door behind him crash open which made him slightly jump. He saw Carmelita, who was smiling back at him, and the chase was on once again. Sly vaulted off the museum roof and landed on a neighboring rooftop. He made sure it was one close enough so that Carmelita could follow. Once he saw her on his tail again he ran off. In the distance he could hear sirens approaching. Carmelita had called in the local police who would handle arresting the corrupt museum owner and his thugs. Once Sly and Carmelita had run a good few blocks away from the museum, Sly perched himself up on the side of a rooftop and looked behind him. Carmelita was still there, she had not fallen behind at all during there chase. She came to a stop on the same rooftop as he was and had her shock pistol clutched in her hand but did not point it at him. The two just looked at each other, taking a moment to catch their breaths from the long run. Sly was about to speak before he heard his binocucom buzzing. Pulling it out he placed it up to his face and listened to Bentley freak out.

“SLY! Are you alright? I heard shots go off and saw the police show up. Murray got away safely in the van and is on his way back to the safehouse. Where are you?”

“I am fine Bentley, thank you. I got the sapphire safe and secure…but I found an even more precious treasure in the museum.”

Sly pointed the binocucom towards Carmelita so Bentley could see her. She was brushing away some hair out of her eyes when she looked up at Sly.

“ARE YOU CRAZY! What are you doing Sly, she is going to arrest you!”

“Calm down Bentley it is fine, everything is fine…things are different now. I think Carmelita and I need to have a talk. I will be home in a bit. Tell that online buyer that we have his rock and will be sending it soon.”

There was silence from Bentley for a minute before he gave out a long sigh.

“I hope you know wat you are doing Sly. Please be careful, I don’t want to lose you again.”

Bentley cut the transmission and Sly put away his binocucom. Carmelita was waiting for him to get down, her arms were crossed and her foot was tapping the ground. Sly jumped up and twirled, landing directly in front of her and smiling.

“Hey there beautiful.” He said with a coy smile. Carmelita rolled her eyes and glared at him.

“About time, don’t you know it is impolite to keep a lady waiting.”

Her tone was snippy and harsh. Sly’s ears lowered at hearing her snap at him. Carmelita noticed it and her expression quickly changed as she gave him a smile.

“I am just kidding Sly. Don’t be such a downer.”

Sly’s ears perked back up and he smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed. He was so happy but so confused, and he had questions that needed answered.

“Carmelita…what is going on? Why aren’t you furious with me…or heartbroken? I thought-”

“I was furious Sly,” she interrupted then continued. “and I was heartbroken. But then I realized just how much you gave up to be with me. I understand now why you lied and…I forgive you.”

Her words pieced his heart like never before. For the past three weeks all he could think about was how he was going to apologize to her. He had practiced getting down on his knees and begging for her forgiveness. He was even ready to turn himself in to her, if only to make her happy one last time. He would have given anything to make up for what he had done to her, but he never expected she would forgive him at all, least not out of her own willingness. He stood there bewildered before she began to speak again.

“I also wanted to say I am sorry…for what I said about your parents. I had no right to judge them how I did, and I hope you can forgive me. I’m sure they would be proud of the man you have grown up to be.”

Tears began to form in Sly’s eyes. He had felt such guilt after he screamed at her that day at the docks. Sly had never been able to put his past behind him, nor would he ever be able to, but to hear her apologize to him...it just wasn’t right. Carmelita’s ears had fallen flat as she spoke, but Sly placed a finger under she chin and made her look into his eyes.

“You have nothing to be sorry for Carmelita. I acted like a fool. I lied to you, I betrayed your trust, and I hurt you. I never wanted you to see that side of me…I’m sorry for everything I have done.”

“Everything you did, you did because you love me, I see that now, but I could never ask you to do it again. You are a thief Sly Cooper. You come from a long line of thieves that date back as old as time itself. You are special Sly, there isn’t anyone else out there like you…and I need to stop trying to make you something you’re not.”

“Carme-”

Sly never got to finish what he was saying as he was brought into a kiss. The two of them locked lips, and for that moment time stood still. There was more to this kiss then there had been to any in the past. It wasn’t just passion, but love, real love. After what felt like an eternity the two broke away, needing to take a breath after what they had just experienced. Sly looked into Carmelita’s eyes and saw something in them he had never seen in the past year they were together. There was new life to her, a new purpose and understanding. Carmelita finally accepted who she was and how she felt toward Sly. Years of pent of emotions now vanished in the blink of an eye, and the weight that had been on her shoulders was finally lifted. The two leaned forwards and rested their foreheads on one another, smiling and wrapping their hands around one another. Sly wanted this moment to last forever, but he knew that things were not all fairytale perfect. He pulled back and took and breath and was about to speak before Carmelita cut him off.

“Five o’clock my place, Friday, after I get off work. We can talk then…and you can serve out your punishment for lying to me.”

She gave Sly and dirty smirk which he returned to her.

“Not going to arrest me Inspector Fox?”

“No…not tonight ringtail. Though, if your late on Friday, not even prison will keep you safe from me. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am,” he reached down and kissed the back of her hand. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Carmelita smiled and flicked away her hand away and motioned for him to run off. With a tip of his cap and a quick bow he turned and began to walk away.

“One last thing ringtail. That sapphire you stole…make sure it goes back where it belongs. And you had best buy a damn good present for me before coming over, or else your punishment is going to be a whole lot worse.”

Sly smiled back at her and nodded, then vanished off into the night sky. In all her years of work she had never willingly let Sly just walk away, but things were different now. The truth was she didn’t care anymore. She was in love, and right now loved made her blind to her sacred morals. When it was anyone else, things were solid black and white, but with Sly…there were about 50 different shades of grey between it all. (sorry, bad pun I know) She could stand to let him steal one thing, he deserved it anyways since he hadn’t stolen anything in so long. Depending on how things went on Friday, things might change, but for now, she just couldn’t wait until then. Making sure she had all of her belongings, Carmelita made her way back to the museum to finish up what needed to be done there. Unknown to either Sly or Carmelita, they were being watched the whole time.

* * *

 

“What a handsome hunk of meat he is. What I would do to get a look at that toned chest, mmmhh!”

Perched high up on a rooftop, the great predator looked down at her prey. One hot looking raccoon, and one sexy looking vixen. They made such a cute couple. She had been watching the elusive raccoon ever since she arrived in Paris about a week ago. She saw him every so often running around at night, and even once when he was walking around the streets during the middle of the day. He really was something, especially for a Cooper. She wondered just how good he was, both in the field and in bed. The Dire Wolf grinned to herself, her sharp fangs gleaming in the moonlight. She would have to track him down to his safehouse and see if she could have some fun with him, but if would have to wait. Right now her job was to scout out the city and make sure they weren’t being watched or followed. She had met a few of the others when they came to the city, but there were still more to come. Until they were all here, none of them met for more then a passing second on the streets or in alleyways at night. She might have been the youngest of them, but she was a fighter. Taking one last glace over the city rooftops, the Canis Dirus took her leave, unknown that their enemy watched their every move. 

* * *

 

It had been three days since the museum heist, and Carmelita was anxious for work to end. It was Friday at 3:30pm. Carmelita had a half hour to go before she clocked off for the weekend. She had told chief Barkley that she needed the weekend off to take care of some family business. He hadn’t questioned her about it and allowed her to take what time she needed off. Carmelita had been thinking all day of what her and Sly were going to do. There were going to talk first, of course. There was a lot she needed to get off her chest, and a lot he needed to as well. It was time for the two of them to really sit down and discuss not only their feelings, but there future and what they wanted. Carmelita loved Sly, she loved his charm, his wit, but most importantly she loved how real he was. Sly wasn’t like any other man she had met, especially her coworkers. They weren’t all bad, some of the men she worked with were real gentlemen, or at the very least they kept to themselves. Everyone else however…well they were just jerks. They all wanted the same thing; Carmelita in their bed for them to have their way with. Many of them had asked her out, and the more brash and stupid ones even tried groping her or whistling as she walked by. Perverts she told herself, all a man wanted was to use a woman and cared about nothing but her looks. She remembered when one of the newer officers had slapped her on the ass as she walked passed him. His nose never did look the same again after her foot met his face. She didn’t need to worry about getting in trouble for it though. The one thing men value above all else is there own ego. None of them would ever go and complain about her if she did hit them, because that would make them ‘not a real man.’

Sly was different. He was a thief, yes, but he was also kind and compassionate, and he cared about his friends, especially Carmelita. Despite being on different sides of the law, Sly had on many occasions saved her life and the lives of others. Sure he flirted with her and made her feel uncomfortable at times, but she knew now that all his words of affection and compliment were real and came from the heart. Sly could be headstrong and foolish, but what person wouldn’t be if they lived his life. Sly got to go wherever and do whatever he liked. She had chased him all over the world, and looking back she realized just all the good he had done. When he was eighteen he had single handedly took out four of the five Fiendish Five members, many of which had been terrorizing people and taking advantage of others. When he was twenty he and his gang took out the notorious Klaww Gang, which had been using the components of ClockWerk to enhance their production of illegal spice. During his adventures Sly had defeated many criminals who otherwise could be ruling the world right now. He saved countless lives in the process and brought justice to those who thought themselves untouchable. And all of this had just been a side affect from his own personal goals. Whatever it is that he did, good came out of it, even if it wasn’t his intention.

Carmelita was snapped out of her thinking by an all to familiar voice. The chief had yelled to her and wanted to see her in his office before she left. She sighed, knowing this couldn’t be anything good, and reluctantly got up and headed into his office. Inside, the chief was, as usual, smoking his favorite brand of cigar and letting out of puff of smoke which filled the room. In his hand he held some sort of paper, but Carmelita wasn’t able to make out what it said. She closed the door behind her and took a seat in front of his desk.

“You wanted to see me sir?”

“Yes…we need to talk.”

Carmelita let down a hard gulp.  The chief had an unusually calm but stern voice. She hadn’t mentioned anything to him about her encounter with Sly a few nights ago, but knowing Barkley he might very well know already. She was about to ask what they needed to talk about before the chief tossed over the paper he had in his hands to her. The first thing Carmelita noticed was the symbol at the top. It was the same as Sly’s calling cards, meaning this paper was from him. It was some kind of letter.

“Read it out loud.” The chief ordered, standing up and moving to stare out the window.

Carmelita’s heart was racing, she had no idea what was going on or what was said, but she was about to find out. Clearing her throat, she began to read the letter out loud.

“ _Dear James Barkley,_

_I want to start out by saying that I am sorry that I lied to you about my amnesia. I faked it so that I could be with Carmelita. I was shocked when I learned I was actually going to be made an officer in Interpol, and even more when I learned what you did to make that possible. You are a very honorable man with a respectable career, and I am sorry to have deceived you like I did. I knew you didn’t trust me, but you trusted Carmelita. You gave me a chance when no one else would, and for that I am forever grateful. I thought I would be happy with my new life, but as time when on I felt more depressed and guilty. Not only was I lying to Carmelita about my amnesia, but I was lying to you and all of Interpol. I couldn’t keep living a lie, it was not my life and not who I was. I am a Cooper. I always have been and I always will be. I know that I caused you a lot of hardships when I left, and I want to say that I am sorry for any trouble I may have caused. You may not understand why I did what I did, but I did it all for Carmelita. She means the world to me, and it broke my heart to have to lie to her for so long. If I could rewrite history, I would have told her the truth about how I feel from the beginning. If she asked me to turn myself in tomorrow I would do it without a second thought. I deserve it more than anyone, and if it were to make her happy, then I would have no regrets._

_I don’t expect you to forgive me. You have no right to and I expect nothing to change that. I was a liar and a thief. Now, I am just a thief, and proud to be one. I hope my actions have not caused you to much stress, and if we meet again I hope it is not in a courtroom, but if it is, then I ask you to be as brutal and honest with me a you can. That is what makes you a great chief, and even though you had your doubts about me, I always considered you my friend. Thank you for giving me a chance at a new life, even if it didn’t work out in the end. I wish you a good life and fair health._

_Your friend,_

_Sly Cooper._

_P.S. The best cigars are made in the Dominican Republic. I left a box of them in your drawer. I hope you like them.”_

Carmelita’s eyes had begun to water as she read the letter. Sly was truly a noble person, and he had the balls to confess and apologize for everything he did. A caring smile had made its way onto her face as she read the last bit, and he wondered how true his words were. Would he really turn himself in if she asked?

“When did you receive this letter sir?” She asked with a bit of shake in her voice.

“About ten minutes ago. It was laying on my desk after I came back from the restroom.”

Of course, what else should she have expected. She had more questions but they would have to wait.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I met Conner Cooper, Sly’s father?”

Carmelita’s ears perk up at hearing his question. She had no idea that Barkley had known Sly’s father, nor did she even know Sly’s father’s his name until now.

“I was a young Inspector when I first ran into him. I was out on patrol of the city when I noticed someone running along the rooftops. I followed close behind from the streets and saw him enter one of the embassies in the middle of town. I watched him pick the lock on one of the windows and hop inside. I followed, having to climb up the side of the building to reach the window. When I got inside I found him going threw a bunch of filling cabinets. I raised by pistol to him and told him to freeze, but he was to fast and had knocked the gun from my hand before I could blink. He pounced on me and held me down with his cane, and that’s went I saw his face. Grey fur with a black mask pulled over his eyes. He was on his early twenties, maybe older. I remember the look on his face when he saw me. I learned years later that I was the fist person to have been able to sneak up on him without him knowing, and I guess he was impressed with me. He told me his name was Connor Cooper, and that he was there to steal some files so he could gain access to one of the French military bases. He was so blunt and forward that I didn’t believe him at first, but then he told me just what it was he was going to steal and how he was going to do it.”

The chief took another puff of his cigar and a smile appeared on his face as he looked down in remembrance.

“I told him how much of an idiot he was for telling me everything he was going to do, but Connor had just laughed at me. He told me he was the world greatest thief and could never be caught, even if the authorities knew his every move. He had offered me his hand to help me up, but I saw that as my chance to catch him. Needless to say, I didn’t, and he vanished into the night with what he needed.”

Barkley turned back to face Carmelita, who was listening to his story attentively.

“That night was the beginning of a life long friendship. I chased Connor from one corner of the world to another. We met up in America, Egypt, Russia, China. Everywhere he went, I followed, trying to catch him and put him behind bars. Connor was always one step ahead of me, but there came a day where I should have met my end. It was in Alaska. Connor had gone there to steal some kind of priceless Ruby that had been dug up by some miners. There was a trade going on by the coast with some Russians who wanted to buy the Ruby. Things got out of hand and people started shooting. I ended up with a bullet in my shoulder and my leg. I passed out in the snow from blood loss, and I should have died there. I woke up hours later in a hospital, with Connor sitting beside me. He told me he found me half dead in the snow and carried me for three miles to the nearest town. I asked him why he saved me, and he told me that he didn’t want to see his friend die. Connor told me that he had never met someone has determined as I was, and that I didn’t deserve to die because of his mistakes. Connor signed the release forms and took me to a cabin he had in the state. There we talked about ourselves and where we came from. Connor told me about his family and what they did, how they stole from other criminals and those who deserved it. I realized then that Connor was just like me. We both fought to bring people to justice, and we both knew what was right and what was wrong. Connor helped me heal up for the next few days, and when I could walk he took me to the airport. When we got there, he asked if I was going to arrest him, and I made a choice that changed my life forever.”

Barkley sat back down in his seat and took one last puff of smoke before throwing the used cigar away. He took a deep breath and starred at Carmelita.

“I told Connor that I could never arrest someone as honorable as him. I told him that despite being a thief, he was a good man who valued honor and justice and brought it to those who deserved it. I offered Connor a position at Interpol. I could get him pardoned for his crimes and he could use his skills to fight on the right side of the law. Connor laughed at me like I made the funniest of jokes, then told me how thankful he was. He told me that he was a Cooper, and a Cooper is born and dies a thief. He did tell me that when the day came, he would retire and turn himself in if it would make me happy. Twenty years later, Connor showed up at the police station and turned himself in. He was going to serve twenty years for his crimes, but I couldn’t let that happen. I talked with my predecessor, Chief Bradley, and told him that Connor was a good man who was done being a thief and was ready to settle down. When the day of his court hearing came, the chief stood by my side and told the judge that Connor was done thieving and that his actions did not reflect who he was. Amazingly, the judge agreed and pardoned Connor, but made him swear an oath that he would never steal again. Connor agreed, and a few years later he got married. I was his best man at the wedding, and I couldn’t have been happier for him. He and his wife settled down on the outskirts of Paris, and lived a happy life raising their son.”

A tear made its way down Barkley’s face. He took a second to breath and swallow before finishing up his story.

“Eight years after Sly was born, Connor and his wife were murdered. I was the first to show up on the scene. I saw what had been done to them…it was horrible. I wondered what kind of monster would do such a thing…and then I heard a child’s whimper from the closet. That’s where I found Sly. He was clutching his father’s cane in one hand, and in the other he had a torn-up book. I took Sly away from his parent’s bodies and asked if he had seen anything. He told me he watched them get murdered by a giant metal owl. I summed it up his imagination after seeing something so traumatizing, I never thought that he might have been telling the truth. I took Sly to the closest orphanage I could find and left him there. I didn’t have the heart to take his fathers cane or book from him, so I let him keep them. I prayed he wouldn’t grow up to be like his father, but in my heart I knew when he could he would want to avenge his parents deaths.”

A few tears had made there way down the chiefs face, as well as Carmelita’s. All these years and she had no idea how involved Barkley had been with the Coopers, or even that he knew Sly as a child. Barkley took a moment to calm down and collect his thoughts, then looked directly at Carmelita.

“When I learned that Sly had begun stealing, I knew he had taken on after his father. I assigned you to his case because you were the best inspector Interpol had to offer. I thought he would have been an easy catch since he didn’t have Connor around to teach him, but he has grown up to be better then Connor ever was. I wanted to give him a chance to turn away from a life of crime before it was to late, but no matter what happened I knew he was going to be a thief. I left you on the case because you had the same determination in you that I had when I chased Connor, but you had something I didn’t. I knew the moment I heard the rumors going around. You began to have feelings for Cooper, and that made you stronger. When you brought him and told me he had amnesia, I knew just by looking at him he was lying. I was going to call him out on it, but then I saw how much you cared for him, and I realized why he was lying. He cares about you, so much so that he gave up everything he owned, even his own identity to be with you. I knew then that Sly was just like his father. He is honorable, caring, and he does what was right…and he does it all for you.”

Barkley reached over and held onto the Carmelita’s hand. Tears of joy streamed down her face, and all she could do was smile and laugh/cry about the whole situation. Of course Barkley knew from the beginning, how couldn’t he. He was a smart man, a lot smarter than she was. And here he was, telling her his story of how he met Sly’s father and how they became friends. Was this meant to tell her that her feelings for Sly were okay?

“Carmelita...you are the best inspector I have ever seen, far better than I ever was. You have a good heart and a clear conscious. I know I have been tough on you these past years, but that was only to push you to be better. I am very proud of you, and I want you to be happy. You deserve happiness…and you deserve to be with Sly.”

Carmelita looked up and starred at Barkley. Her eyes asked the one question she had with desperation and hope. Barkley smiled and nodded.

“I want you to tell him how you feel, and I know he will tell you how he feels. Connor and I became good friends…I am sure you and Sly can become more then that. He is not a criminal, though the world will see him as one. You must make a choice Carmelita. Can you accept him for who he is, or can you not?”

Carmelita smiled and wiped away her tears. She took a deep breath and stood up with, her back strait and her head held high.

“I can, and I do. Thank you chief…for everything. You have always been good to me, even when I disappointed you. I promise I will make things right.”

Barkley smiled and nodded up at her. He was proud of her choice, but knew things weren’t over. She still had to decide what she was going to do with her life now. Carmelita then looked over and realized the time. It was 4:15pm, fifteen minutes pass when she was supposed to get off. She thanked Barkley one last time before heading to the door, but was stopped by him one last time.

“When you see him, tell him I forgive him for lying. Also give him my thanks for the cigars. If he ever wants to talk, my window is always open.”

She smiled back at the chief and nodded before taking her leave. Things could not have gone better for her. She had the old Sly back, the chief had forgiven him, and he approved of the two of them being together. Things in life had never been better. She arrived at her home at 4:30pm. She had a half hour to get ready before he showed up. Running inside, she changed out of her work clothes and put on something more…classy. She found her black dress she had wore back in India when Sly and her had danced. Slipping it on, she inspected herself in the mirror and smiled. She put her hair up like she had done so that same night, and now waited patiently in her living room for him to show up.

Five minutes passed, then ten. It was 4:58pm and he hadn’t shown up yet. 4:59 and still nothing. She was begging to worry, but she expected him to knock at her door the moment five o’clock came. The clock hit 5:00pm…but there was no knock. She looked behind her to see if he had come in through the window, but it was shut and locked tight. Her heart sank at realizing he wasn’t coming. She waited a few more seconds, but not a sound was made. She sighed and let her head down. He didn’t show, probably because he was out robbing some place. Damn that Ringtail, why did she think he would actually show. She turned around as the clock hit 5:01pm, and ran into his furry chest.

“Well hello their mademoiselle.”

 


	5. A New Begining

“Tu es ravissante ce soir ma beauté angélique.” ( ** _You look lovely tonight my angelic beauty)_**

Sly’s French was superb, better then most native French people now a-days. Sly looked down at Carmelita, she looked just as lovely tonight as she did back in India. Sly had made sure to dress nice. His suit he had wore for the dance years ago had ripped and tore, but what he sported tonight was even better. He wore a suit much like his old blue-purple one, but this one was solid black, with a pair of black pants to match as well. The one thing he didn’t wear however was his mask. His natural fur still gave the appearance of a masked thief, but seeing him without the mask made him all the more stunning.

Carmelita looked up at him and into his brown eyes. He was such a dog she thought. Of course he would wait until just after she told him to be here. Sly had one eyebrow raised and a cheeky smirk on his face as he looked down at her. Carmelita returned the same look, right before she slapped him across the face. It wasn’t a hard slap, she wasn’t trying to hurt him, but it was enough to sting. Sly’s head cocked to the side from the blow and his expression turned to one of mild shock and confusion. He turned back only be he met with her devilish smile.

“You’re late.” Carmelita stated bluntly and pushed her finger into his chest. “I told you five o’clock and it is five-o-one.”

“A thousand pardons my dear Carmelita.” Sly reached down and cupped her wrist. He bowed down before her and kissed the back of her hand.

Carmelita giggled and pulled away her hand, then pushed him away. He stood about three feet away from her and waited for her to speak.

“Don’t try to play suck up with me mister. Flattery will not get you out of your punishment I have planned.”

Carmelita gave Sly and evil smile. She had the prefect punishment for the thieving raccoon, something that would make them both very happy. Sly gave Carmelita a warm smile before bowing down low, like a servant would to their master.

“Whatever the fair and beautiful Carmelita commands of me, I shall do without complaint.”

“Mmmhh, I’m sure you will ringtail. Lucky for you, you get a choice. Your first choice is to clean my apartment, all of it. I want the carpets vacuumed, the kitchen mopped, the cabinets and tables dusted, my dished cleaned, the bathroom washed, my clothes ironed, my bed made, and a steak dinner served to me, and I want it all done before 7pm.

Sly’s cocky grin faded as he looked at Carmelita. She wasn’t serious, was she? He honestly though she meant everything she said until he remembered there was a second option.

“Your second choice is giving me a massage, and ONLY where and when I tell you to. However, you only get to pick this option if you brought me a gift like I told you to.”

Sly smiled at Carmelita and got down on one knee. Reaching down into his side pocket, Sly brought out a small black box. Carmelita’s heart skipped a beat. It looked at if Sly was going to propose to her, here and now. A part of her knew that wasn’t true, but another part of her really thought this was happening. Her fears subsided once sly opened the box. Inside lay a beautiful diamond-enveloped sapphire necklace. She cupped her hands over her mouth and gasped at seeing the beautiful piece of jewelry. It was magnificent, unlike any she had ever seen before. It must have cost as fortune…unless Sly had stolen it of course. She quickly realized this probably the case and narrowed her eyes down at him.

“Let me guess. You stole it from one of the local jewelry stores. Honestly Sly why can’t you just-”

“I didn’t steal it Carmelita I swear. I went and bought it last night from the Monsieur before they closed.”

Carmelita’s face instantly brightened as she smiled down at him. Nodding her head in acceptance, she turned around so her back was facing Sly. Sly stood up and removed the necklace from the box and walked up behind her. He was close to her, his body almost rubbing up against hers. He reached around with the necklace in his hands and wrapped it slowly around her neck. The cold steel bands sent a shiver down her spine, that and she could feel Sly’s breath on the back of her neck. She felt him clasp the bands together behind her and he pulled away. Carmelita looked down and touched the large sapphire that now lay just above her chest. It was perfect, the color of it matching her hair. She spun back around and looked at Sly who had returned to his spot a few feet away.

“It is beautiful Sly, thank you. And thanks for not stealing it.”

“An angel deserves the best, and you my dear Carmelita are the fairest angel of all.”

“Mmm, keep that talk up and maybe you will get a gift yourself. Now come with me.”

Sly bowed his head and followed Carmelita. She took him to her room and laid down on her bed, her back facing up. Motioning for him to begin, Sly slowly and carefully crawled on top of her and knelt down over her. As always he was calm, quiet, and delicate. He began by rolling up his sleeves, then slowly placing his hands on her back. Carmelita let out a quiet moan as he began rubbing on her shoulder blades. His hands were firm yet gentle with her as he worked on the knots she had accumulated. Carmelita could not remember the last time she had a proper massage. It had been years at least. She always put her work before anything else, even her own needs and wants. She must have grown use to the pain all these years, because as Sly worked at undoing the knots, she felt a great burden leave her.

Sly noticed Carmelita close her eyes and smile in comfort. He was all to glad to do this for her, she deserved it after all. Sly remembered back to the many times he had to iron out Murrays back after he got into a fight during one of there heists. Murray would have knots and pains that would give any respectable masseur a run for there money. Carmelita was not Murray however, and unlike Murray Sly couldn’t just hammer away at her back. He had to be patient and slow, taking his time. He felt around her back as he went, realizing just how messed up she was. Starting from the top and moving down, he found and rubbed out each knot. Each time he did so he heard Carmelita give out a moan of pleasure. He would do this all night if he had to, just to see her relaxed and happy. He would do anything for her, as the past year had demonstrated. She was so lovely, yet so fierce. She was kind and caring, but she was also rough and brutal. She had the body of a goddess and the will of a warrior, and all of this added up to the most perfect woman he had ever met. Sly had been all over the world and seen every kind of woman there was. He met the cute ones, the shy ones, the strong ones, and so on. Many women he had seen were smoking hot, more so then perhaps even Carmelita, but that was looks alone. He had never met a woman who had all of these qualities and more; that was until he met Carmelita. She was everything he wanted and more, and what made things so much better, was the fact that she had been chasing him for years. You hear about women chasing after guys because of how hot and sexy they are, but Carmelita took it to a whole ‘nother level. She was the most determined woman he had ever met, and even after having gone through years of trying to catch him with no success, being put in many life-threatening situations, and even having her heart broken, she was not only stronger for it all, but she had found it in her heart to forgive him for everything he had done. She truly was the greatest woman on earth, and she was all his to love.

About a half-an-hour later Sly finished up with her back and looked down at her. Carmelita’s eyes were closed and a smile stretched over her face. He smiled down at her and rubbed her shoulders slowly while whispering into her ear.

“Did you enjoy that my sweet angel?”

There was no response from Carmelita. Sly asked again, but still she said nothing. Carmelita was in that state of not being awake, but not being fully asleep either. Sly knew if he tried to move she would wake, so what would be the best way to get her up he wondered. An evil grin appeared on his face, and with no small degree of grace and swiftness, he smacked Carmelita across the ass with his hand. Carmelita’s eyes instantly shot open and she rolled over onto her back. Sly stayed kneeling above her but gave her room enough to move. When she rolled Sly was met with a pair of glaring eyes and a bitter fanged smirk.

“Oh you’re so dead Ringtail!”

She reached up and grabbed him by his shirt and rolled him over. Now he was laying down with Carmelita sitting on top of him. She grabbed his wrists and pinned them down above his head and smiled down at him with narrow eyes. Sly had to admit he was a bit taken off guard, but he had no reason to complain about his current situation. The two just lay there smirking at each other, no words needed to be said, there eyes did the talking. Carmelita knew she had the upper hand on him this time, and she wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

“Hmph, I admit Ringtail, you did a pretty good job. You would have received an award for your good work, but after that little stunt you just pulled, I think you need another punishment.”

“Oh please, anything but cleaning. I beg of you, please have mercy on a fool such as I.”

Both of them were playing there roles well and having fun with it. Sly always felt alone and somewhat unsure of himself when he tried having fun with Carmelita during there adventures, but now that she wasn’t trying to arrest him and was playing along, things seemed so much better. Sly knew that they would have their serious time later. There was a lot they needed to talk about, but for now they were having fun and that was all that mattered.

“Oh no my little thief. Your new punishment will make you beg to clean my house. Now, lets see how good you really are.”

Without a seconds’ thought, Carmelita pushed herself onto Sly and met her lips with his. Just like a few nights ago, there was something about this kiss that was unlike any the two had shared in the past. Not only had Carmelita been the one to start the kiss, but she wanted it more then anything. She loved Sly, she knew that now, and he loved her. In there moment of bliss the world stood still. Any worries or doubts they might have had washed away as they embraced one another and explored each other’s tongues. After what felt like an eternity Carmelita broke away from her kiss with Sly and took in a deep breath. Sly lay there taking light and quick breaths, a dumbo-looking smile never leaving his face. Once she had caught her breath Carmelita looked down and smiled at the young vigilante. He shook himself from his daze and smiled up at her.

“That wasn’t so bad. Maybe I need another one to really feel the punishment.”

“Mmm, your cute, but your punishment is that you never get another one like that ever again, so I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted.”

“Ah, what cruel fate has befallen me. To never experience such a thing again, I will surely perish from sorrow and grief. Please fair lady, do not sentence me to such a life. End me now before my suffering can begin!”

“To bad lover boy. Maybe you will think twice next time before you smack me across the ass. I was rather enjoying myself up until then.”

Carmelita placed a finger and his nose and give him a little ‘boop’ before rolling off of him and standing up. Sly wiggled and rub his nose afterwards and followed the vixen back out into the living room. He took a seat at her kitchen table and waited as she prepared them some glasses of wine. Taking the bottle from the fridge, Carmelita popped the top open and poured herself and Sly and glass then walked over and sat next to him. By now it was a little after six-thirty and the sun was beginning to set. Handing Sly his glass, the two of them raised their glasses and ‘tinked’ them against each other before sipping down the red wine. They both just looked at one another as they drank, neither one of them knowing what to say. It was so strange; after all these years, everything they had been through and everything hey had done, was this really going to work out between them? They both knew they loved one another, that was as clear as day, but how would they be able to make things work between them given how different they were. Carmelita was a highly respected Interpol agent who had the highest record of criminals arrested ever set by her department. She came from a five-generation family of cops that had dedicated there lives to putting criminals and lawbreakers behind bars. Sly was a world-renowned master thief who had broken over a hundred laws in over three dozen different counties. He also came from a prehistoric dated family line that had dedicated there lives to becoming the greatest thieves in the world. They stole from criminals all over the world and had amassed a multi-quintillion dollar treasure that now lied at the bottom of the ocean. Carmelita was a loyal and determined cop. Sly was a carefree and skillful thief. In what universe would the two of them actually be able to make things work without having to give up their life’s work and dreams? They didn’t know, maybe they wouldn’t be able to make it work, but they had to try, and they needed to be honest with one another. Sly put down his glass and took a deep breath before starting.

“Carmelita…I want to start by saying that I love you. I have loved you since the first time we met. I know that things have been rough between us, but no matter what may have happened I have always loved and cared for you.”

“I am a thief, I always have been and I always will be. I can’t go back to pretending to be something I am not. I am not a cop, nor could I ever be one. I am a Cooper and I have a duty to uphold my family’s honor and memory. I could never ask you to not do what your job required of you. You are an Inspector of Interpol, it is your duty to arrest criminals. In the eyes of the law I am a criminal, and if you asked it of me I would turn myself in. I am done running from you Carmelita, I am done hiding how I truly feel…”

Sly reached over and grasped the foxes hand. He looked into her eyes with a seriousness she had never seen before.

“If you asked me to turn myself in, I would do it. If you asked me to return everything I had ever stolen, I would do it. If you asked me to throw myself before your feet and serve you as a slave, I would do it. If what you asked of me made you happy, then I would have no regrets about my decisions. No matter what, I will always love you.”

Tears came to Carmelita’s eyes, but they did not fall down her cheeks. She was so happy, so thankful for everything he said. Sly wasn’t the same person he was just three years ago. He had grown up and become a man, one that she loved more then anything in life. She took and breath and calmed herself before speaking.

“I love you Sly, more then you know. It has taken me so long to realize it, but I understand now why I love you. You ae unlike any man I have ever met. You are strong, brave, kind, and you help people Sly, more then you might even realize. You fight for justice because you know what is right and what is wrong. Your honorable and respectable, and you do what needs to be done. I have seen you battle criminals that, in every respect, should have killed you, but you showed yourself to be stronger and smarter then any of them, and you saved my life more times then I can count. Even when you had no reason to, you always came back for me. I always thought it was because you were just stupid, but I know now that you risked your life to save mine because you cared for me.”

“I can’t ask you to stop being who you are. You’re a thief, and I want you to stay a thief. You’re not a criminal, not truly, and that is what makes you so special. When I heard you say that you faked your amnesia, a part of me was overjoyed, because it meant I could have the old Sly back, the Sly I feel in love with. For years I thought I hated you. I thought that you were the most uptight and selfish prick on the planet. When I learned you were going after the Fiendish Five, I thought maybe it was because they had double crossed you or kicked you out of there little gang. But then I learned what really happened, and why you went after them.”

Sly’s eyes now began to form tears. It was hard for him to listen to her and relive old memories again without getting emotional, but he knew she meant well and he listened closely.

“Sly…you have done things that I never thought were possible. You defeated some of the worlds worst criminal leaders, you destroyed a crazed mechanical owl that has been hunting you and your family for hundreds of years, twice! You’re a hero Sly…at least, you are to me.”

Sly looked at Carmelita and stared into her brown eyes. There was so much love in her eyes, so much truth in what she said. Sly almost felt guilty for being blessed with such a woman, by all accounts he didn’t deserve any of this. The two just starred into ones another’s eyes for what seemed like hours until Sly broke the silence.

“Carmelita…you have no idea what it means to me to hear you say those words. Thank you, for accepting me for who I am, and for accepting the family I come from. I guess the only question now is…where do we go from here?”

“I don’t know…I can’t stop you from being a thief and I can’t stop doing my job…perhaps we can find some way of working together. Chief Barkly did mention that he once offered your father a position at Interpol.”

“Wait…Barkley knew my father?!”

“Yes, he and I had a very enlightening conversation before I got off of work. He showed me the letter you wrote him. After I read it he told me about how he and your father first met and how your dad saved his life. Barkley said he offered your dad some kind of job working with Interpol, but your dad refused but was thankful anyways. Maybe we can see if Barkley could get you your job back, and maybe we-”

“Carmelita stop, please. I am thankful that you would ask the chief but I can’t go back, not now. Not after everything that has happened. Besides I told you, I’m not a cop, I never was or could be again.”

“Yes I know, but what if you didn’t have to be a cop, or even have anyone know you were working with Interpol in the first place.”

“What do you mean?” Sly’s interest was perked but he still had a lot of doubts.

“I mean we see if the chief can make you some kind of Spy, or maybe someone who works off the grid. Think about it Sly, you would still be able to sneak around and be yourself, but you would be working with the police instead of against them.”

Sly could tell Carmelita was very excited about her new idea. He was glad she was thinking of ways they could be together, it showed him he was serious she was about their love and how hard she was trying to make things work.. It was an interesting idea but not one Sly was ready to address.

“Look Carmelita, I am grateful that you are trying so hard to make this work, but that is a big decision and not one that is even guaranteed to work. I am not ready to give up thieving, not for a long time. There is more to what I do then just sneaking around and stealing things, and I don’t expect you to understand it all right now.”

Carmelita’s ears flattened as she realized how pushy and rushed she was trying to make things. Sly was right, it was a big decision and she had no idea if it was even possible. She just wanted things to work between them, and she knew she was making things harder then they needed to be right. She took a deep breath and centered herself before continuing.

“Your right Sly, I’m sorry. I’m just so worried now. Not only for you but for my job. What if people at work find out about us? What if I get fired or even arrested for aiding a known criminal?”

“It’s okay Carmelita, nothing bad is going to happen to either of us. So what if people learn your in love with the worlds greatest master thief, what are they going to do? The chief has your back I know that, so what is there to worry about? Worst case scenario one of those idiots you call coworkers decided he thinks you’re a criminal now and tries to arrest you. If so I bet he would be losing a few teeth the moment he tied to put his hands on you, and even if they somehow did get you, you can trust that I would be there to beat down anyone who would dare try and hurt you.”

“Oh Sly, your such an exaggerator…but thank you, that does help. Your right about Barkley, he is on my…our side, and he approves of us. That reminds me, he wanted me to tell you he is thankful for the cigars you got him.”

“Hmph, well I am glad he likes them. It took be forever to find them. They only sell them in some small town up by the boarder. Anyways…thank you Carmelita, for everything. Thank you for accepting me for who I am, and thank you for forgiving me for everything I have done. You deserve better then a lowly thief who lied to you for a year and constantly made your life hell.”

Carmelita giggled and squeezed his hand, giving him a warm smile as she spoke.

“Your anything but a lowly thief Sly Cooper. You’re an amazing person with amazing talents, and I wouldn’t have you change for anyone, especially me.”

The two smiled at one another and continued to look into each other’s eyes. There futures were uncertain, but they were positive that so long as they stayed true to one another, things would work out in the end. Sly shifted his eyes a bit then turned to look out the window. The sun had set over the city of Paris and the moon was beginning to rise. It would be another beautiful night, and Sly couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than with the love of his life. He was about to turn back to her when something caught his eye. Had that been what he thought it was? It couldn’t be…could it? Carmelita noticed Sly’s changed expression and she turned to where he was looking.

“What is it Sly?”

Sly didn’t speak. He slowly stood up and walked toward the balcony of Carmelita’s apartment. She followed, worried about what was going on. Sly focused on a set of buildings that were about two or three blocks away. He could have sworn he saw something, a figure in the night perhaps. He kept starring at the spot where he had seen it before seeing something move out of the corner of his eye. He shifted his gaze to another rooftop on the other side of town, but just like before he saw nothing but darkness and shadows. He looked back to the first spot and there he saw it. It was a figure, though he couldn’t make out who or what it could be in the distance. They were moving along from rooftop to rooftop, jumping and twirling almost exactly like he did when he went out at nights. Carmelita noticed the person to, and she began to think of who it could be. Carmelita knew many of the criminals and gangs that ran the streets of Paris at night, and no one but Sly used the rooftops to get around. She could tell that Sly didn’t know this person either given he hadn’t said a word in the last five minutes.

“Sly what’s going on, do you know who that is?”

“No.” Sly replied in a neutral tone. The truth was he was studying the figures moves, seeing how they ran and how they performed. He was somewhat impressed by the person’s moves, they mirrored a lot of his own, but that was also very unsettling to him

“Come on, lets go see where they yet.”

“Sly! We can’t just go after people in the middle of the night.”

“Sure we can, and we should. Who else besides me run along the tops of buildings at night? You can’t tell me you’re not at least a little bit curious.”

“Well of course I’m curious, but we can’t just go after them. What if they have a gun, or what if they see us following and attack us, or worse call the police and say we were stalking them.”

“Carmelita, you’re a cop, and I am a master thief. If anyone tries anything I am sure we can take them, and if they do try to shoot us we just tell them we are both cops and if they do they will go to jail for the rest of thee lives.”

*sigh* “Fine, your right, but this isn’t what I had planned for us to do tonight. I already had a movie picked out and everything.”

Sly chuckled.

“As fun as that sounds, this will be even better, and you know it. Now grab onto my back and hold on.”

Carmelita rolled her eyes and did so. Once she was holding on tight, Sly leaped up and grabbed onto a cable that ran from her apartment to one across the street. He usually slid down these with his cane, but since he didn’t have it with him tonight he used his hands. Once they reached the other side Carmelita hopped off of his back and waited for him to be ready. He rubbed his hands since they stung and burned a little, but after a few seconds he nodded and the two of them were off. They were both wearing decent shoes, so they didn’t need to worry about tripping, at least Sly didn’t. Carmelita wasn’t use to running in her dress, and it made her almost eat hard cement a few times. They jumped from building to building, keeping a safe between them and the unknown acrobat. They were about four or five buildings behind, but the figure never looked behind as they continued on. After a good ten minutes of following this person, Sly and Carmelita saw them stop and look around. The two-stayed hidden behind some brick walls and covers, waiting for any movement from the midnight stranger. After a minute they saw the figure make there way down the side of the building they were on and land on the sidewalk below. That’s when Sly notices where they were. They had followed this person for almost a mile, and they were now farther up north in the city of Paris. Here a lot of the more wealthy people lived, with many expensive apartments and a few mansions littering the area. There were also many expensive shops, restaurants and entertainment businesses that all catered to the wealthy. They watched as the figure moved across the street toward a two-story building. It was a sort of warehouse and distribution building that had been out of service for a couple months now due to a fire that had broke out. Sly and Carmelita watched as the figure approached one of the side doors and knocked. After a few seconds someone from inside answered and let the person in then closed the door behind them. There were lights on inside, and no one should have been there at this time of night. Something was definitely going on. Carmelita crouched over next to Sly as they pondered what to do.

“Okay, so clearly there is something going on here, but what can we do? I don’t have my gun, I’m off duty, and I don’t have my phone with me so I can’t call the police.”

“Where is your sense of adventure Carmelita? You’ve chased me down to worse placed and been in worse situations. Lets just go scout it out and see if we can’t learn anything. If things go bad, we run and meet up back at your place. Sound good?”

“Fine, but I don’t like this one bit. That person moved just like you did Sly, what if they know how to fight?”

“Well then it will give me a chance to see just how good they are, and maybe I can ask them where they learned to move like I do. Now let’s go.”

* * *

 

“Sir, we found them. They are meeting up at an abandoned warehouse in northern Paris. What are our orders?”

“Keep watch Captain Jenkins. Don’t let them know you’re there. Keep watch for the next few hours and see if you can find out what they are planning. Do NOT engage unless there is no other option, understood?”

“Yes sir, understood sir. Jenkins out.”

 


	6. the Game Begins

Sly and Carmelita made there way from the rooftops to the street. It was just past eight o’clock, but in this part of town there was almost no one out on the streets. Many shops were closed for an early weekend, and the only light was the moon or the occasional street lamp. The two made sure to stay in the shadows, both blending in nicely given their dark attire. Carmelita still had her worries about doing this, but Sly had convinced her it was worth it. He had been able to convince her a quit a lot recently. Perhaps she was blinded by her love for him, or perhaps she felt better knowing they were on the same team this time. Whatever it was, Carmelita had a newfound determination. It was one thing to bust criminals, but if she could do it with Sly, then things would be a whole lot more interesting.

They made there way over to the door the mysterious figure had entered. It was lock, of course, so they were going to have to find another way in. They crept along the side of the building as they tried to find another door. They found a large garage door on the other end of the building, but it was locked from the inside as well. There weren’t any windows on the base floor they could reach, but they did find a ladder that lead up to the roof. With Sly leading, the two ‘investigators’ climbed up to the roof and looked around. There was a door that have lead inside, but just like all the others it was locked to. None of these locks would have been a problem if Sly had his gear with him, but since he hadn’t expected to be doing this kind of thing tonight he hadn’t brought anything. Sly noticed there was a small grate that lead into the internal ventilation system. He would do the same thing he had done at the museum; crawl through the vents and find a way out. Once he was out he would unlock the door leading to the roof and let Carmelita in. Sly walked over and kicked the grate down and was about to crawl in before Carmelita stopped him.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Um, finding a way in, what does it look like? I’m going to find an exhaust vent and open up the door from the inside. Just wait up hear for a few minutes.”

“Fine, but be careful. We have no idea what is going on here or who could be in this place. Just don’t get yourself killed.”

“As you command my lady.”

Sly gave Carmelita a cheeky grin and a wink before slipping into the vents. She rolled he eyes and waited outside of the door. After a few minutes she began to worry, and when she heard the lock click she nearly jumped out of her fur. Sly opened the door slowly and motioned for her to enter. With both of them inside they quietly descended the staircase that lead up to the roof. The bottom led them out into a small and narrow hallway. There were a few doors on the left side and a pair of double doors on the right. Staying low and sneaking, the two made there along the hallway and put an ear to each door. All the ones on the left were locked and they heard nothing from the other sides. When they reached the double doors they found them unlocked, and they could hear the slightest hint of voices coming from beyond. Luckily both doors had a small window, and when Sly peaked through he found that the next room didn’t contain the people they could hear. Patiently and quietly he opened one of the doors and snuck in. The next room lead to a rather large office-type area, and on the other end the wall was open and lead out to a catwalk that hung over the first floor. Sly and Carmelita sneaked there way over to the opening and carefully looked over the edge. Below them was very large packaging warehouse, though much of it was cleared out. The catwalk that hung out over the room had a movable crane connected to it that would be used to move heavy objects onto loading pallets that would then be taken out to trucks.

The room below them was not un-occupied however. The large storage area had been converted into what looked like a large living room. There were a couple couches placed around of varying size and about a dozen chairs or stools. In one corner of the room there was a large computer station set up, with at least three PC’s and about five monitors that could be seen. There were several lights and lamps strewn about that lit up the whole room, and a very large rug was rolled out over the entire flooring. There were half a dozen empty pizza boxes sitting on one table, about ten or so bottles of beer on another, and a bunch of other half eaten or discarded pieces of food lying around. Obviously several people lived here, and four of them were there now.

The first thing Sly noticed was that all of them were wolves…very large wolves. The first one sat on one of the couches watching TV. He was bigger then the others, and that was saying a lot given how unusually large they all were. His fur was solid black from what Sly could tell, with a few lighter spots and streaks on his face to give him some sort of detail and complexion. Sly had noticed he was bigger than the others, and that was due to how buff he was. His shoulders and arms were toned and muscular, even to the point where he looked like he could take on Murray single handedly. He wore a pair of black jeans with a dark brown belt. His t-shirt was a dark grey/brown, and over that he wore a black leather jacket. He looked like a bouncer that would stand outside of a nightclub, but even those guys wouldn’t compare to his size and apparent strength.

The next wolf was a woman. As most female wolves she was a bit smaller than the others in the room, but she was still larger then most normal wolves were. Most of her fur was a dark grey, but around her eyes and muzzle it was much lighter. Her arms also got lighter the closer it got to her hands, which the back of her hands and her fingers almost being fully white. She was sitting by herself in a loveseat reading a book. She was wearing a dark purple and black garment-type dress, almost like some kind of wizard’s robe but not quite. It was odd, and not something most women would wear, but in a crowd she wouldn’t stand out to much.

The last two wolves sat across from one another at a small table. Between them a very heated game of chess was underway. The first wolf on the right was the most distinguishable of any in the room. His fur was light mix of red and orange, kind of like Carmelita. Around his neck and muzzle it was a much lighter grey and white mix, but around his eyes and the rest of his head it was a darker orange with a few light spots. His arms were a lighter orange the farther they went out, until his hands and fingers were all but a pale white. He wore a pair of brown pants with a white t-shirt. On top of all this was a very long brown leather jacket that reached down to his knees. His head sported what looked like a pair of brown-black goggles or glasses, it was hard to tell what exactly. He looked like some kind of engineer, or a tinker, a thinker, maybe even a toymaker! He was definitely a hands-on kind of guy, probably the kind that liked working on cars or tinkering with computers and hardware components.

The last wolf was the other chess player that sat on the left side of the board. He looked a lot like the female wolf that sat on the other end of the room reading. They both hard dark grey fur, but where her face was still somewhat dark, his was much lighter and gave him a distinct look. He to was wearing some kind of strange modern-day looking robe. His was dark blue with light grey trimmings. It wasn’t the strangest of clothes to wear, but it just wasn’t what you expected to see a wolf wearing, especially in Paris. Perhaps they were from China or Japan, where these kinds of clothing were common place. Sly also noticed a large book that lay next to the wolf. The only reason this caught his eye was because it shared the same colors as his clothes, and because it had a strange symbol etched onto the front of it that stood out above anything else.

The room was fairly silent except for the TV that the black wolf was watching. The orange wolf reached over and moves one of his pawns to take his opponents rook. The other wolf then moved his knight to take the others bishop. A moment passed before the orange wolf smirked and moved his queen diagonally across the board.

“Checkmate!” The orange wolf called out. The grey wolf starred at the board for a moment, trying to see if there was anything that could be done. Realizing there wasn’t, he admitted defeat by pushing his own king down with his finger.

“Well played, I thought for sure I had you that time. That brings up the score to what…forty-seven to fifty-two?”

“Forty-eight. I won that one time you ‘claim’ I cheated.”

“You did cheat, but fine, forty-eight to fifty-two. I still beat you by four games, but I’m impressed your catching up.”

“Please, the only reason you won so much is because I can’t predict you like everyone else, but at least it is nice to know SOMEONE out there can beat me.”

The words were directed at someone else, the large black wolf. All the black wolf did was roll his eyes, never taking his eyes off of the TV screen.

“Whatever Einstein, you keep sitting up there on your high horse, but when a real fight comes you had best remember who saves your scrawny little ass.”

The black wolf had a very gruff and deep voice, but there was a lightheartedness to his words.

“Yeah, whatever Vince. Anyways, want to play another game Talion?”

“No thanks Nathan. Luna and I were going to study up on some of our skills while we wait for everyone else to get here? Any idea where Emily is?”

“She said she was going to go out and scout again before Vrook arrived.”

The quiet voice came from the female wolf that sat in the chair reading her book. She placed her book on the table next to her and got up and walked towards Talion, the grey wolf that looked like her.

“She should be back anytime. Clayton’s still sharpening his blades and Octavia is papering herself upstairs. I’m going to go get some air outside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

With that, the dark female wolf Luna walked out for the room and out of sight from Sly and Carmelita. Sly was going to whisper something to Carmelita before the wolves started talking again.

“So, you really think we should do this?” Talion asked while he picked up some of the chess pieces.

“Do what? Find and save the man who made us who we are today?” Nathan the orange wolf replied.

“Nathan he betrayed us, he cast us out after we did what we thought was right.”

“What we THOUGHT was right.” The voice came from Vince who turned off the TV and walked towards them.

“We thought we were saving lives that day. We ended up killing hundreds. What did you think he was going to do to us?”

“Don’t give me that Vince. We have killed what, hundreds of people? Thousands? You made plenty of mistakes, so have I. We have enemy’s everywhere, we have ever since we started that damn war in Egypt.”

“I’m not saying he was right,” Vince continued “but we intervened in something we had no business with.”

Both wolves were about to say more before Nathan stepped in.

“Look, we can talk more about this later, that is the whole point we are here. Now let’s drop it for now and do one last round check around before we begin. Vince go check the truck, make sure it’s ready just in case. Talion and I will clean up things here and prepare a table for later.”

Sly and Carmelita looked at each other and slowly backed away from the railing. Both of them were wide-eyed as they processed everything they just heard. Carmelita was the first to speak up. Though it was a whisper her voice was very stern and serious.

“Sly, we need to get out of here. These guys are killers, and who knows how many more of them there are. We need to call the police and get these guys arrested before they can go through with whatever plan they have.”

“Your right, but something just isn’t right. Did you notice how they all looked? They aren’t like any wolves I have met before, there much bigger and have strange features.”

“It doesn’t matter Sly, we need to go before one of them catches us and puts a bullet between our eyes.”

“Let’s just wait and see what kind of ‘meeting’ this is. We need to have evidence if we want to get these guys arrested, and they will at most get a ticket for illegal squatting if we call the police now.”

Carmelita wanted to argue back but found she couldn’t. Sly made a good point. They needed to learn what they could before they took any drastic actions. Biting back her tongue Carmelita agreed and they waited in the shadows of the second story waiting for something to happen. Below them, Nathan and Talion cleared away a bunch of the furniture and made a large area in the middle of he room. Vince came back a few minutes later carrying in a large fold-up table. He placed it on the floor and pulled out the folding legs. The table was large enough to fit four people on each side and two people at each end. The three wolves then pulled up chairs and laced them around the table. On one side they put down three chairs, and on the other they put down four. The last chair was put at the head of the table, for a total of eight seats around the table. Sly could recall hearing eight different names. There was Nathan, Vince and Talion in the room now. Outside there was Luna. One was Emily, another Clayton. The last two were Octavia and Vrook. Eight people, eight criminals from what they had heard. Sly had never heard of any of them, let alone see people that looked like they did. From what Sly could understand, these guys knew all knew each other fairly well and were here to met and decide about something. Something about an old friend was it? They had made mistakes in the past and were thrown out? It didn’t make much sense right now, but Sly was sure if they stayed and listed they would understand more. None of them had seen seemed very threatening, except Vince of course. A wolf his size was unheard of, but Sly had heard them talk about how many people they had killed. These guys were bad news, most likely professional assassins. Whatever they were, Sly knew they needed to be stopped no matter what. A few more moments passed before they saw Luna return to the room.

“It’s such a beautiful night out.” She stated. “I can feel the calm of the city. I think tonight was meant for us to met together once again…after all this time.”

“I’m glad we are all here tonight to.” Vince replied. “But I wish Clayton would hurry the hell up. How long does it take to sharpen those damn swords of his?”

“Longer then you might think.” Talion answered. “They need to be maintained to have perfect balance. It’s relaxing for him, that and cleaning his guns. He saved you quite a few times if I recall correctly.”

“Yeah well, I could have taken the bullet fine, or the arrow, or the spear. Would have made for some nice scars.”

“You think that, but having an arrow or spear in your shoulder would have done a lot more harm than good you know. Just because we can heal our wounds doesn’t mean it wouldn’t still hurt for a long time afterwards.”

Vince gave out a chuckle and nodded before taking a seat at the table. Luna took a seat across from him and pulled out another book she had from under her robes. Nathan had walked over to the computer station and sat down in front of one of the monitors and began logging in. Talion was the last one standing. He walked over to where Nathan was and looked over his shoulder. Doing so kept Sly and Carmelita from seeing the screen, so they had no idea what the wolves were looking at.

“Did the camera’s see anyone snooping around today?” Talion asked Nathan.

“I haven’t checked the recordings, but if they did we will see…hmm, odd. The motion sensor went off about a half-hour ago. Let me look and see who it could have been.”

Sly realized that it had been just about a half-hour since they got here, and if there were camera’s, they definitely would have recorded him and Carmelita. This was there que to leave, and Carmelita knew it to. As they began to slide away they heard Nathan speak again.

“What the?! Who are these two? What are they…they got on the roof!”

Sly and Carmelita turned around to begin walking away. Right as they turned however, the lights turned on in the once dark office space they had been in. Standing in the doorway before them was another wolf, though this one they had not seen before. She was…well, let’s just say she was hot…very, very hot. She was a tall and curvy wolf, the kind that made a man’s jaw drop the moment they saw her. She wore a very seductive and revealing black dress, but it covered most of her body and easily could be warm out in public on a daily basis. Her fur was very a very light white-grey with a few darker spots along her sides going to her back. Her face was the most beautiful and stunning. It was mainly white, yet around her eyes and the top of her head she had lightly dyed violet fur that made her even more mesmerizing, especially in dim light. She was a gorgeous woman, enough so that when Sly saw her he was instantly put into a somewhat trance-like state. Carmelita however was not, and she was having a mix of fear and aggression building in her.

“Well hello their cuties.”

Her voice was soft yet stern, angelic yet down to earth. Her voice was like music to men’s ears, something she very well knew and used to her advantage. Carmelita was frozen in place, but she noticed Sly was fixed on the beautiful wolf. He heart filled with instant jealousy as she snapped at him. Sly broke free from his trance and for a moment was confused as to where he was. Then it all came back in an instant and he starred at the wolf blocking their escape. He put on a sheepish grin and blinked.

“Um…hi. We were, um…just leaving.”

“Mmm, oh don’t think you are hansom.”

Before either if them could react, the she-wolf lunged at them and brought them both to the ground. She was large enough to hold both of them down, but perhaps not strong enough. Carmelita kicked the wolf in the side and rolled away while Sly grabbed her arm and pushed her off of him. The wolf flung herself back and landed back on her feet, still blocking their escape. Sly glanced over at Carmelita who had gotten back up and she ran over to him. The wolf girl ran at them again. Sly grabbed Carmelita’s arm and in a split decision jumped back over the railing, pulling Carmelita with him. He jumped far enough back that when he reached up he was able to grab onto the crane that hung over the warehouse below them. Carmelita had slipped from Sly’s grasp but she caught onto his leg. She was only about three or four feet away from the floor now, less however since right below them was the table that had been set up earlier. The purple wolf woman above them ran over to try and grab them, but Sly let go and the two fell. The table broke there fall for the most part, as neither of them were very hurt, only a tad sore for the moment. The two of them looked at one another before rolling off separate sides of the table. When Sly rolled over he pushed out one of the wooden chairs that had been set up and kicked in the side of up. Doing so broke the chair and he picked up a piece of wood from it. It was about half the length of his cane, but a good blunt weapon non-the less. Now possessing some form of defense Sly spun around and saw the large wolf Vince charging at him. Sly ran towards him for half a second before curling up and summersaulting right under the wolf’s legs. When he reached the other side Sly spun around and swung as hard as he could with the piece of wood he had into Vince’s back. Sly had always been strong, and the blow sent the wolf flying back and crashing into one of the couches. Just as Sly regained his balance he saw Talion running up to him from his left. Sly used all the muscles in his legs to push himself up and jump over the incoming wolf. Passing over the wolf Sly swung again and intended to send the wolf flying back. Yet before his swing could hit Talion had bent himself backwards and the wooden stick Sly had attacked with passed right over him. Talion then sprung to his feet and delivered a side kick right into Sly’s chest. The kick sent Sly tumbling back and into the chest of Vince, who had gotten back up and waited behind the young Raccoon. Sly looked up and saw the glaring wolf, and just narrowly missed his fists coming together to crush his head. As he ducked down Sly noticed a pistol on the side of Vince’s waste. Thinking of no better thing to do, Sly was able to slip in and grab the pistol from its holster and jump away before being hit by the massive wolf’s paws. His jump landed him about three feet away from the black wolf, and when Sly spun around he held the .45 Desert Eagle pointed right at Vince’s face. Sly saw the black wolf’s expression change from one of anger to instant shock as he and everyone else in the room heard the pistol cock. For a moment, everything was completely still. The world had stopped moving as Sly held a gun to the wolf. It was a moment of instinct, one that rarely happened but he had to use a gun before in the past to get out of very bad situations. It just so happened this was a very bad situation. Sly had never directly or deliberately killed anyone in his line of work, preferring to knock people senseless then end their life. The same was true now. Sly had no intention of killing anyone, but he knew how to intimidate when stealth had failed him, and without his cane or any of his other tools here with him, he had to rely on what he could get.

In the blink of an eye the world started again. The black wolf in front of him was still. Behind Vince stood Talion and Nathan, both of whom were also still. On the far end of the room Luna stood silent and still as she had watched the whole thing play out. Sly didn’t know where the purple wolf was, but he had a good feeling she was still above them. Sly was about to demand everyone get down and not move, but a calm and chilling voice spoke before he did.

“Drop the gun boy, or you and your girlfriend here die tonight.”

Sly turn his head and saw who spoke. His heart dropped at seeing what had happened to Carmelita. There was a new wolf now, another male, who had two katana blades held up in front of Carmelita’s throat. The wolf had dark brown fur with his face being much lighter, especially around his eyes and muzzle. Most of his body was covered by his deadly attire however. He wore a long dark brown jacket that went all the way down to his feet. He had on a pair of jet black pants and wore a dark cotton shirt. His head sported a brown, flat cowboy-type hat with a red band circling around the middle of it. On his back Sly could see the now empty sheaths where his two katanas would go. Inside his jacket Sly could see two revolvers, one on each hip, and the insides of his jacket held several more guns and knives. He looked like some kind of half samurai, half cowboy wolf, and Sly could tell he was a very deadly and dangerous person. He had Carmelita pinned up against his body with his two swords crossed over and held to her neck. They were as sharp as glass, and any movement Carmelita would try and make would end up making the blades dig into her skin. If she tired anything sudden the blades would surely cut her neck open and she would bleed out. She was trapped and at the wolfs mercy.

“I said drop it Coon boy, or this fine lady here gets to see if heaven really does exist.”

The wolf emphasized his point by drawing in the blades closer to her neck, making Carmelita have to lean up more against the wolf to not get cut. There was fear in her eyes, the kind Sly had only seen once before, when Carmelita was trapped in ClockWerks gas chamber. Sly realized he was outmatched, outnumbered, and outplayed. He slowly lowered himself to the floor and placed the gun on the ground before standing back up with hands raised.

“Alright I give up. Just please don’t hurt her. I’ll do whatever you want.”

Sly never took his gaze off of the wolf who held Carmelita, but he noticed Vince walking toward him. The black wolf reached down and picked up the gun from the floor. He looked to the sword wielding wolf who gave him a nod. Grinning, Vince took his pistol and used it to bash Sly against the face. The blow was almost enough to instantly knock him out, but he fell to the floor still clinging to consciences. His head was spinning and his ears rang. He didn’t even hear when Carmelita cried out to him. Sly looked up dazed and saw Vince glaring down at him. The last thing Sly saw the wolf’s foot coming down and kicking him in the face. Sly was out cold, and Carmelita was at the mercy of her captors.

* * *

 

“Sir, we have a situation here.”

“What is it general?”

“We witnessed two civilians enter the warehouse. The climbed up onto the roof and one of them snuck in through the ventilation system. What do you advise?”

“Hmmm…this was not expected. Stay where you are and await further instructions. We have people working on the tap you set up inside the warehouse. Once we learn what is going on inside we will let you know how to proceed.”

“Understood, Jenkins out.”

 


	7. Interrogation

There screams rung out like church bells on Sunday morning. Again and again he watched as they were cut to pieces. ClockWerk never tired, never relented. It played over and over, the same scene happening without any change. Connor fought off Mugshot and the Panda King, knocking both to the floor, but then he would turn around and fall to his knees. His wife’s neck open, her head fallen back as the blood poured out of her like a waterfall. Her lifeless body would drop to the ground, and what remained of her would be crushed under ClockWerks metallic talon. Her body was broken and deformed, yet the worst thing was that she never died, not truly. The crazed owl would then dig his claw into Connors chest, his metal nails piercing his heart. Connor would be flung into the air and come crashing back down to the floor. There he would lay, his body still and his eyes opened. He looked at Sly who sat watching from the closet. His eyes showed only pain and sorrow. Not for himself, but for his son who had witnessed this, and would witness it again. The world would reset itself in the blink of an eye, and the scene would play out once again. Each time it was the same, each blink bringing more tears to Sly’s eyes. After an eternity, there was a change in the scene. Once his father was dead, ClockWerk turned his head and starred down at Sly. He had no expression, no emotion, no soul. He starred down at the young raccoon and lowered himself down, their eyes now at the same level. He did not speak, yet his words could he heard in Sly’s mind.

“Your legacy, is gone. Your family, is gone. You, are nothing. I, am, your, DEATH!”

The owl raised himself up and towered at his full height over the boy. He raised up both his wings, and lighting flashed behind the metal bird. When the lightning struck, ClockWerk vanished for the briefest of moment. In his place stood a black figure, undistinguishable except for his eyes. Crimson red, deeper and darker than blood. His ears pointed up and his snout long. He held an arm up in the air, his hand clutched around the hilt of a sword. Then he was gone, ClockWerk having returned in the same pose. With his wings held up high, the feathers razor sharp edges gleamed in the darkness that surrounded him. Then, he brought them down, and sliced the young Sly into pieces. 

* * *

 

Sly awoke screaming. His nightmare still clear as day in his mind, and his chest burned like fire from ClockWerks wings. He was terrified, his mind and body not realizing they were in no danger or pain. His eyes shot open, yet he could see nothing but white light. His lungs held no breath, and it was only when he finally breathed in did reality come into form around him. His vision returned, yet his mind was to unfocused to know what it was he was seeing. He began to breath heavily and rapidly, and with each breath his mind calmed and his heart slowed its quick beat. After a few seconds, he had enough grip on reality to realizes he was not dead or dying. His eyes darted around, looking everywhere. The more he breathed, the more he regained himself. After one final breath, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He was alive, his nightmare was only a dream. Sly opened his eyes and inspected his surroundings.

Sly was in a small room. There were no windows, and no furniture. The only distinguishable thing was the door that was before him. Instinctually Sly moved towards the door but found that he could not move from his position. He looked down and saw what was holding him. Sly was bound to a wooden chair. His hands were pulled behind him and brutally tied with what felt like rope. His legs were bound together to, as well as his lower stomach and chest. Robe was wrapped around him and kept him firmly tied to the chair that sat in the middle of the room. He tried moving his wrists but found them to be thoroughly and painfully tied with no means of escape. He moved his legs trying to find any slack, but they were also tied tight with no room to wiggle. Sly was stuck, and he had no way of getting free any time soon. Once he was aware of his current situation, memories of what had happened before flooded to him. He instantly went wide eyed as he realized he was alone, which meant he had no idea where Carmelita was or what had happened to her. This sent Sly into a frenzy, and he began to trash and struggle wildly in his bonds. His mind raced with a thousand possible scenarios of what he would do if he got free, but each thought was there and gone in the same second. His struggling quickly tied him out, and after about thirty seconds he began to grow weary and his thrashing slowed. A minute passed before he finally gave up and forced himself to breath in deep. He would pass out from exhaustion if he kept going, and that was the last thing he needed right now. He took his time to breath and regain his energy, all the while contemplating what to do. Sly had been in a handful of situations like this in the past, but this time it was very different. He was in a place he didn’t recognize and being held against his will by people he didn’t know. He was tied to a chair with no means of escape, and he had no idea what could possibly happen next. None of this mattered right now to Sly however, all his thoughts were on Carmelita. He didn’t know if she was even alive or not, and that was what truly scarred him. Realizing he could do nothing to get free, Sly resorted to yelling.

“HEY!! IS ANYONE THERE?! WHERE IS CARMELITA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?!?!”

There was no response. His words echoed off the walls that surrounded him. He waited for what felt like ages until he heard a small click. His ears perked up as he focused all his attention on the door. It slowly swung open and a large figure walked in. Sly’s eyes instantly narrowed at the wolf. It was the same one who had grabbed Carmelita and held his swords to her neck. Sly was able to get a better look at him now. He really did look like some kind of steampunk-esk outlaw from the old west, yet his body was more rigid and stern, much like his face. He still wore a dark brown flat-top hat which covered his face in shadow, but his face was illuminated by the short cigar that he held in his teeth. His face was a dark brown, with the fur around his eyes and muzzle being black and grey. The large wolf walked in and closed the door him before starring down at Sly.

“’bout time you woke up boy. O’ll Vince was beginning to thing he knocked your brain loose. The lights still all on up there?”

The wolf spoke with a very deep and strong southern accent. It was weird how much of a stereotypical western voice he had, but that was hardly Sly’s main concern. Sly barred his teeth and growled at the wolf before beginning his demands.

“Where is Carmelita!?”

“Carmelita eh? Fitting for such a feisty vixen. She almost went and broke Nathan’s arm when he was strappin’ her down. She’s quite a fighter.”

“WHERE IS SHE!!”

“Calm yourself boy, else you gonna be lossin’ yer tongue here real quick. Your lady friend is safe fer now, though her future safety is entirely up to you.”

The wolf gave Sly a wicked grin, which only made the blood in Sly’s veins to boil even more. He tightened his fists in anger, not caring about the pain it caused his wrists.

“What do you want from me?” Sly asked coldly.

“Well, first thin’ I’d like to know is who you are and what business you think you have snoopin’ around here and spyin’ on us. I’ma gonna be hosnest and say things don’t look to good on ya right now, so you had best be tellin’ the truth, else Ms. Carmelita over in the other room ain’t never going to see you again.”

The wolf narrowed his eyes down at Sly, and waited for an answer to his question.

“…My name is Sly and we followed one of your ‘friends’ back here.”

“And what made you so inclined as to follow someone in the middle of the night?”

“We saw them running along the city rooftops just after dusk. I should also let you know that we are both cops, and if you so much as lay a finger on me or Carmelita you and all your criminal friends will be spending the rest of your lives in prison!”

Sly spit his words out at the wolf. He was furious about his situation and worried for Carmelita. He had expected his words to maybe worry the wolf, but all he saw was the wolf smirk and puff on his cigar.

“You think we care if y’all are cops er not? Boy, you got no idea who we are, or what we can do. Only reason you two are still alive is cause ya might be valuable to us. So tell me, who sent ya? Was it Kavar?”

“We weren’t set by anyone! We…saw someone acting suspicious and went after them, that’s what police do! I don’t know anyone by the name of Kavar or whatever their name is.”

The wolf gave Sly and long, narrowed stare, and Sly gave him one back. They were trying to read each other’s thoughts, though truth be told Sly had no idea what this wolf could be thinking. All he cared about was getting free and finding Carmelita before anything bad happened to her. After about a minute the wolf gave Sly a smirk and nodded his head to him.

“Much obliged for the info Mr. Sly. I’ll make sure little lady friend knows how cooperative you have been. Maybe then she’ll warm up and tell us what we want to know.”

With that the wolf turned and placed his hand on the door knob. He turned it and opened the door but stopped when he heard Shy’s shouting.

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! IF YOU LAY A SINGLE FINGER ON HER I WILL-”

Sly’s banter was cut short as the wolf flipped out one of his katana’s and brought it up next to Sly’s neck. Sly instantly went silent, worried for his safety. The wolf looked back at him with a deadly glare and spoke in a soft and dark voice.

“You’ll keep your mouth shut, or else all you’ll hear is her screams as I cut her apart. Do I make myself clear?”

Sly bit down on his tongue and did not make a word. His eyes were aflame with rage, but he saw how serious the wolf was and would do what he asked. The wolf took his silence as a yes and relaxed while sheathing his weapon. The both of them heard a voice call out from another room.

“Hey Clayton, we need your help real quick in here.”

“Yeah, I’ma comin, just hold your horses Talion.”

The wolf, now known to Sly as Clayton, looked back at Sly and just starred at him, then turned and walked away, shutting and locking the door behind him. Sly let out and deep breath and relaxed his body. That’s when he began to feel the pain in his wrists for having tightened his muscles for so long. Sly had never felt so useless before in his life. He was powerless to save Carmelita, and he had no idea if what Clayton was even saying was true. All he could do now was wait and hope some miracle would come and save him from his torment.

* * *

 

Carmelita glared at the purple and white-haired wolf. She had nothing to say to her, nothing good anyways. After Sly had been knocked out she was taken back to small storage room and had gotten into a very heated yet futile fight. Without the fear of her head being sliced from her neck Carmelita had gone into a rage and had been kicking and throwing punches whenever she could. It took four of the wolves combined to tie her down. The room she was in was much like Sly’s, and she was tied up much like him to, however her bonds were much more restrictive given how much more strong and angry she was then they first thought. Each of her legs were tied to a leg of the chair she sat in. Her arms were pulled behind her and tied at the wrists and elbows, then another length of rope wrapped itself around her arms to the chair itself. This kept her entire body stuck to the chair, and no matter how hard she struggled she couldn’t break free. When she could no longer fight back with her fists, she resorted to her mouth. She had bit down into Talion’s arm once before screaming a mix of English and Spanish insults at him and the others. Such profanity would surly give her mother a heart attack. Realizing she wasn’t going to shut up, they resorted to silencing her with a very sticky piece of tap over her mouth. She wasn’t able to speak anymore, but that didn’t stop her from screaming wildly behind her gag and thrashing about. Once they knew she was secure and not going anywhere Carmelita was left alone in the small dark room. For the first ten minutes she did nothing but yell and struggle, trying to find any give in her bonds, but the rope work was to good and she had no hope of getting free by herself. Once about ten minutes had gone by she began to calm down. She breathed quickly through her nose to keep herself from passing out, and once she could breath steadily again she began to think about her current situation. She had told Sly this was a bad idea and look at what had happened to them. They had both been kidnapped by a group of apparent master criminals and murderers, which were probably coming up with a way to discreetly ‘dispose’ of herself and Sly. When her thoughts went to Sly she hung her head low and her ears fell flat. Thigs were supposed to be different now. They should be at her apartment right now watching a movie and snuggling up with one another, not spying and being taken hostage by a bunch of killer wolves. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. She and Sly had gone on many adventures, faced many dangers and had always come out on top, but this time things seemed different. They had been outnumbered, outmatched, and severely overpowered, not to mention they had been caught do to their own stubbornness. She prayed to any god that might listen that this not be the end of them. There was so much more she wanted to do, so much more she wanted to say to Sly. Her thoughts of the future were interrupted as she heard the click of a lock and watched the female wolf walk in.

It was the same one that had first discovered them on the second floor. Carmelita got a much better look of her now, and even she had to admit that the wolf girl was very stunning to look at. She had the perfect body, the kind of body that super models would be jealous of. Her black dress clothes only added to the woman’s over all beauty, but the real catcher was her fur, especially around her face. Carmelita could see how perfectly and almost natural looking the soft violet dye blended into her fur. Around the top of her head, ears and eyes the violet really stood out. It ran down her almost like a pattern, though if it was one it wasn’t something Carmelita recognized. The wolf looked down and smiled wickedly at her captured prey. She didn’t say anything at first, instead taking a moment to circle the bound Carmelita and inspect the fiery orange vixen. Carmelita just followed her with her eyes, never relenting her dagger-like stare. Once the wolf-ess had inspected Carmelita for a few minutes she stopped in front of her and smiled down at her. The two-woman starred into each other’s eyes, both trying to read what the other was thinking. Chuckling to herself, the wolf girl crossed her arms and began to speak.

“Well, I must say my dear, you truly are something new. In all my years I have never seen a woman with such passion and spirit in her like you. I’m impressed to say the least.”

There was no response. Carmelita just continued to glare at her captor, wanting nothing more than to knock that smile right off of her stupid face and throw her behind bars. The female wolf just rolled her eyes at Carmelita’s attempts of intimidation.

“Your temper however seems to get the better of you. Shame, had you been able to control it you might have actually been able to find a way to free yourself instead of making your situation worse.”

This sent Carmelita over the edge. She began to trash wildly again and scream muffled insults at the wolf. How dare she insult her and say she had a temper. Carmelita would show her a temper! The wolf just laughed some more and waited until Carmelita calmed down.

“Like I said, can’t control your temper, but I like your determination despite your current situation.”

After a moment or two Carmelita finally calmed down and sat huffing in air through her nose. It was pointless to struggle, she wasn’t going anywhere and the wolf before he knew it. She went back to doing the only think she could do and glared up at the wolf. Seeing she had come to her senses, the wolf girl smiled and lowered herself down to be eye level with Carmelita.

“You’ve got a good fight in you, but save your energy for later when it really matters. Otherwise I’m afraid you won’t live long enough to see your pretty little boyfriend again.”

This instantly made Carmelita’s heart drop and her ears go flat. If she didn’t calm down they would kill her, or worse they would kill Sly. Seeing her changed expression, the wolf smiled and put a paw to her cheek. Then, she ripped the piece of tape over her mouth clean off in one pull. The pain from feeling some of her fur being ripped from her was enough to make her grunt in pain, though truth be told she would have much rather screamed. Carmelita moved her head to the side once her mouth was free and began to wiggle her nose and move her jaw to make the pain dissipate. The wolf girl smiled once more and threw the strip of tape to the ground before standing back up and towering over Carmelita.

“There we are my dear, now we can begin our little game. Here is how it works. If I ask you a question and you tell me the truth, then you get to ask me a question. If you lie, well…”

With a flick of her wrist a rather large knife appeared in the wolf’s hand. It was a serrated black dagger, and Carmelita could tell that the blade was sharp, very sharp. She instantly remembered the feeling of the two swords Clayton had held to her neck, she had felt the edged sitting there, waiting to cut her down. Then without warning, Carmelita watched in the blink of an eye as the knife was thrown at her. It had just barely missed her, maybe by less then a millimeter. It flew right past her cheek and stuck into the wall behind her. It had happened and was over before Carmelita could even process what had happened, but once she did her eyes went wide as she starred up at the wolf. She was met with a wicked grin as the wolf finished her sentence.

“Let’s just say my perfect aim may not be so perfect anymore.”

Carmelita gulped. Knives and swords had always freaked her out, even as a kid. The thought of being cut always made her spine shiver, and the thought of being stabbed just made her chest run cold. She would much rather have a bullet put in her then a knife. Her gaze was brought back to the wolf as she saw her with a new knife now, seemingly having come out of thin air.

“I’ll start. My name is Octavia. Tell me your name.”

Carmelita just took a minute to process what was going on. Her mind raced as the gravity of her situation really began to hit her hard. Taking a deep breath and finding new determination, she held her head up high and spoke with an emotionless voice.

“My name is Carmelita Montoya Fox, top inspector of Interpol here is Paris, and if you know what’s good for you you’ll set me and my friend free this instant.”

Carmelita knew her demands were futile, but she was not about to look weak before Octavia. She thought maybe telling her she was a cop would bring a bit of worry to the elegant wolf, but her expectations were crushed when she saw the wolf girl laugh at her.

“My, aren’t you a feisty one. Interpol eh? So you’re a glorified cop, big whoop. You think your job or your title is going to save you here _Car-mel-i-ta_?

The insult made Carmelita bare her teeth and growl at Octavia. If there was one thing Carmelita would not stand for, it was someone insulting her job.

“If you so much as lay one more finger on me you’ll wish the police were here to save you and your band of criminals!”

“Hehe, you’re in no position to be making threats Ms. Fox. I would be careful if I were you. Your boyfriend over in the other room might not last long if you keep up that attitude of yours.”

Carmelita’s eyes narrowed in anger, but he was also now worried for Sly.

“Where is Sly? What have you done to him!?”

“Don’t worry yourself to much just yet missy. Your little raccoon friend is safe, for now. Clayton is just asking him some questions right now. So long as he behaves and tells us what we want to know we promised not to hurt you…for now at least. Now, next question. What made you and your boyfriend want to sneak in and spy on our little group? Who sent you and what do they want?”

Octavia’s tone was much for stern and serious with her line of questioning. Carmelita knew she needed to be honest for Sly’s sake and her own.

“We followed one of your members back here. We saw them running along the rooftops at night and went to investigate. No one sent us, we aren’t even on duty right now. It was…a date night for us.”

Carmelita could feel her cheeks grow slightly red. It felt embarrassing to admit she had been with Sly, even if this wasn’t the time or place to feel embarrassed. Octavia cocked a brow at her answer and gave a half smile.

“Date night huh? You two are a thing?”

“What of it?!” Carmelita snapped “Why do you care!”

Octavia shrugged her shoulders and just smiled to herself while twirling around her knife.

“He’s a handsome man. Strong to. If he were single I would have liked to have had some fun with him…maybe if he were to suddenly loose his special little fox he would be up for a night of fun under the sheets.”

Carmelita’s blood boiled at hearing what Octavia had to say. She snapped at the wolf in a defensive tone.

“Keep your filthy paws off him! Sly would never sleep with a stupid bitch like you!”

The smile Octavia had suddenly dropped, and she narrowed her eyes. She starred down at Carmelita with anger in her eyes and brought her knife up to rest of the vixen’s chest, the pointed end slowly digging into her skin.

“Call me a bitch one more time and you lose a finger.”

The two women glared at one another for a moment before Octavia stood back and composed herself. Taking a breath, she looked back down at Carmelita with a blank expression.

“So, you two just decided to chase after someone in the middle of the night without calling any backup or anything? You two are pretty poor cops if your telling the truth. But you weren’t sent by anyone?”

“No, I told you, no one sent us. We just were suspicious and followed some acrobat back here.”

Octavia stood silent for a moment as she thought. Carmelita just waited, unsure about what was going to happen next. Once Octavia was satisfied with her thoughts she looked back at Carmelita.

“Hmm, alright Ms. Fox, I believe you…for now. You can ask me a question now if you like.”

“Who are you people? What do you plan to do with us?”

Octavia gave the fox a smile before walking slowly behind her.

“Who we are is none of your concern. All you need to know is that we are very skilled, and very deadly. For what we have planned with you, I’m not sure yet. We are still waiting for our leader to arrive. Once he does, he will have the final say as to your fates.”

Carmelita heard the sound of Octavia grabbed out the knife she had thrown at the wall behind her. Her fur quickly stood on end as she felt the cold pointed tip of a dagger rest on the back of her neck. Octavia leaned down and spoke softly into her ear.

“I like you Carmelita, you’re quite the fighter. I respect that in a woman. Keep your mouth shut from now on and behave, and you and your boyfriend stand a good chance of surviving through the night.”

Carmelita felt the knife dig into her more as she held back a grunt of pain. Then the pain quickly left as the dagger was lifted from her skin. Octavia walked back in front of Carmelita and starred down at her one last time.

“Be good and do what we say from now on and don’t fight back. You’re strong Ms. Fox, but you have no idea who you are dealing with now.”

She then turned and opened the door and prepared to leave, but not before saying one last thing to Carmelita.

“Oh, and if you start screaming and yelling again you’re going to get a muzzle locked over the pretty face of yours, so best keep it down if you want to still talk.”

With that final threat Octavia left. Carmelita heard the click of the lock on the other end of the door and she was left alone. She sat there for a while thinking, trying to wrap her head around this whole situation. She finally just gave up and relaxed as much as she could. She couldn’t do anything but wait now, and like Sly she despised waiting.

* * *

 

“She’s got quite a spirit in her that one” Octavia spoke.

She sat at the table with the other members of her group. Out of the eight chairs, two were still empty. It was just past 9pm, and the last two members of their group would be arriving any time now. Nathan and Vince sat across from one another at the end of the table. Next to Vince sat Octavia, and next to her was one of the empty seats. Across from Octavia sat Clayton, and sitting next to him was Talion and Luna. The last half-hour had been hectic for all of them, especially now since things just got a lot more complicated. Clayton was twirling around a pistol before he holstered it and spoke.

“The boy’s the same. He got the hots for that Fox, no doubt ‘bout it. Says there a couple of cops that followed one us back here.”

“She said it was someone running along the rooftops. Must have been Emily. She checked in then left to go scout one last time before Vrook got here. Where is that girl anyways?”

“Up here silly!”

Everyone at the table looked up. Hanging by her tail from the warehouse crane was another female wolf. It was hard to see just what she looked like from where she was, but they could tell her fur was a light grey with parts of her face and hands being a light brown, especially around her eyes and nose. The limber and athletic wolf let go of the railing with her tail and gently landed down in the middle of the table on one foot. Emily had always been a show off, but she always met well and was nice to everyone. She wore a black suit that made her look like a modern-day rouge. She was the spy of the group, and a damn good one at that. She smiled down at Octavia before jumping down and taking a seat next to her.

“So, what did I miss?”

Her voice was very young sounding, and she looked it to, maybe in her early to mid-twenties.

“Oh nothing much” Nathan replied, still massaging his sore shoulder from where Carmelita had kicked him earlier. “Just a couple of cops that followed you back here and spied on us for a while.”

Emily’s ears flattened against her head as most of them looked at her with narrow eyes. She gave a small grin and giggled awkwardly.

“Sorry, I didn’t notice them. Must have been sneaky cops.”

“Yeah well, they are a couple of fighters, especially the fox” Talion replied while rubbing his arm. It was bandaged up from where Carmelita had bit him.

“Wait, did you say one was a fox? And that she is a cop?” Emily asked

“Yeah,” Talion answered “The other is a raccoon. Clayton and Octavia both questioned them. There stories seem to match up.”

Emily sat quiet for a minute deep in thought. Then, a light bulb went off and Cheshire grin appeared on her face. The others quickly took notice as they all starred at her and waited.

“A raccoon and a fox…”

Emily began, barely holding back her excitement.

“Guys, I think we napped ourselves the most famous raccoon in the world.”

Everyone gave her a puzzled look, everyone but Clayton. He seemed to understand as well, he thought the racoons name sounded familiar when he heard it. Emily nodded to him then spoke his name.

“Sly Cooper.”


	8. All For Nothing

Murray brought the van to a screeching halt. Both Bentley and Penelope were jerked forwards in their seats by the sudden loss of forward momentum. They both took a second to shake their heads and clear their thoughts before beginning their operation.

“Alright, this is where I tracked Sly. He should be in that building right over there.” Bentley explained.

 He was pointing towards the abandoned packaging distribution center. When Sly had told them about his plans with Carmelita, they were naturally worried that this could be a trap and that she was luring him so she could arrest him. Sly of course told them not to worry, but before he left Bentley had made sure to slip in a micro GPS tracker into one of Sly’s pockets. This way Bentley was able to monitor Sly’s location in case they saw he was headed towards the police station or the local jail. They were glad at first to see that his signal stayed at Carmelita’s for the first few hours, but once they saw him start to move they got worried. They had tracked him headed the opposite way from the police station, which made Bentley both glad and worried. Bentley watched as Sly’s signal slowed down and became fixed at one location in the northern part of the city. The gang was naturally confused, even more so when Bentley pulled up the location on his computer and saw Sly was at an abandoned warehouse. Then, after about thirty minutes, the signal was lost. Bentley knew the only way that was possible is if the tracker had been broken, and he knew Sly wouldn’t break it even if he did find it. Bentley knew then that Sly was in trouble, so he, Penelope and Murray got the van ready and headed out to go find him. Of everyone Bentley was the most worried. Why had Sly gone all this way up north? Was it a trap set by Carmelita to finally arrest him? He couldn’t imagine that Carmelita would have ever forgiven Sly for lying to her about his amnesia, but little did Bentley or any of them know what was really going on. Bentley didn’t know that Sly and Carmelita had been in a fight, or that when Sly had been knocked out the tracker was unintentionally smashed. All Bentley knew was that something had happened to Sly, and they needed to find him. They just got him back less than a month ago and they weren’t about to lose him now.

“You sure this is the place?” Murray asked

“I’m sure” Bentley replied. “The tracker may have died, but so long as it stays in the general area where it went off, I can still detect it.”

Bentley began to type on his holographic keyboard that appeared in his lap. After a few calculations, Bentley had his answer.

“Yep, it’s still in there, which means there is a 98.97% chance Sly is still there to.”

“Alight Bentley, so what’s the plan?”

Bentley typed up something on his computer before a large holographic display emerged for them all to see. It was the structural layout of the warehouse. It showed every door, hallway, room, vent, piping, ect. Bentley looked over the layout before coming to his conclusion.

“First off we need to see where Sly might be. If we use Penelope’s remote-control helicopter, we can look in through the windows up on the second floor. We also can send in he RC car through the ventilation system to get a better look inside. Once we find out where Sly is, we find the easiest way in, get him, then get out of here.”

“Sounds like a plan buddy.” Murray said in an approving tone. Bentley then looked to Penelope who was in the back of the van getting things ready.

“How are things going back there Penelope?” Bentley asked

“Just fine.” Penelope replied while mounting a camera onto the RC car. “Everything’s got a full battery charge and ready to go.”

“Alright then, lets find Sly. Hopefully everything is fine, but I have a bad feeling about this.”

* * *

 

Sly gave one final tug before giving up. He let out a groan of discomfort as his wrists now burned from having the rough rope dig into them for so long. He leaned his head back and starred up at he ceiling. ‘What have I gotten myself into’ he wondered. Why did he always have to ruin things like this? Tonight was suppose to be special, just him and Carmelita. Now they were tied up and held prisoner by a bunch of psycho dogs. He closed his eyes and his mind began to wander. He thought back to that day in the Cooper Vault. There was so much he hadn’t seen, so much history and secrets left buried. All of it now sat at the bottom of the ocean. When the caves began to collapse, the island foundation crumbled, and the vast wealth of his ancestors was pulled down by gravity to the dark abyss of the sea. Sly wondered if it was even possible for the vault to have survived. The main vault door was made of some unknown material that made it virtually impossible to open without a Cooper cane as a key. Perhaps if the vault door had closed before it sank, then maybe the treasures within sat perfectly safe and sound on the ocean floor. It was a hopeful thought, but Sly knew he would never see the vault again. Maybe in another thousand years the vault would be discovered and its secrets revealed to a future Cooper generation. That was, of course, if Sly kept the family name going.

**_(Going to make a quick note here and explain something. I did some research and realized that we never did get a real answer as to what happened to the main Cooper vault in the game. We know they found some kind of side vault thing, but I don’t think that was just another way into the man vault. What I came up with was that the island collapsed and the vault sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The vault Bentley found was some kind of smaller stash that just had a munch of gold and stuff in it, but it didn’t have any of the good Cooper secrets or stuff like that. If I am wrong about any of this please let me know. Back to the story ^^)_ **

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar ‘click’. The door to his room opened and in walked a wolf Sly had not met before. She was young and thin, with her hair cut short and her bangs combed over to the side. Her fur was a faint light grey, kind of like Sly’s, with light brown running down her arms, as well as around her eyes and muzzle. She wore a slim and tight black outfit, which kind of gave her the look of a spy, or even a thief. She walked in and looked down at Sly, a large grin on her face.

“Well hey there cutie, you’re even more hansom up close.”

Her voice was very ‘girly’ in nature, and even sounded playful or childish. She looked very young, no more than nineteen or twenty years old, and she had the voice for it to. She was a very cute girl. Sly wasn’t too sure about her, but he thought, just maybe, he could use his Cooper charm to get her to free him, or at least loosen his bonds. He took a second to compose himself before cracking his signature Sly smile and looked up at her.

“You’re not too bad yourself angel. You here to keep me company?”

“Hehe, oh I like you Sly. I see now why that cute Fox likes you so much. You’re such a charmer.”

Sly had keep himself under control if he was going to accomplish this. He continued to smile up at her, though his heart ached to know where Carmelita was.

“Yeah, her and I got a pretty good thing going, but I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you to much. You seem like such a pleasant girl, what person wouldn’t like you?”

The young wolf girl put on a big smirk and lowered herself down to Sly. They were now at eye level, there noses just inches away. Sly was beginning to get a bit worried and his smile slightly dropped.

“You’re cute Sly, even when you try so hard to seem like you don’t care.”

Sly’s smile had dropped and he starred into the girl’s eyes. He was angry and scarred at the same time. Not for himself, but for Carmelita.

“Who are you people?” Sly asked “What do you want us for?”

“Well Clayton was wanting to kill you both for spying on us, but I talked him out of it. You’re far too important to kill, aren’t you Mr. Cooper.”

The wolf girl kept her playful tone and demeaner, which made her all the more strange to Sly. They had figured out who he was, which seemed like it could be a good thing. If he wasn’t going to be killed because he was a Cooper, then that meant they needed him for something. Sly thought about it for a moment before speaking.

“Yeah, I’m a Cooper, and because of that you aren’t going to kill me, which means you need me, am I right?”

“Hmm, cute and smart.”

The girl patted his cheek before standing back up strait.

“Yes we need you, and you are going to help us. Is that alright with you?”

“Well that depends, what do you need my help with? And I am not doing anything until you tell me where Carmelita is.”

“You will learn soon enough Sly, and I think you might be eager to help us once you know what it is. As for your girlfriend, she is safe and unharmed. She is quite a fighter, I like her.”

The young wolf girl walked behind Sly and began to untie some of his bonds He felt the pressure leave his waste and chest as the ropes that help him to the chair were loosened and fell to the floor. His hands stayed tied, but his legs were cut free and he was able to stand. He didn’t try any sudden moves, he wasn’t in any position to do so and if he did it might be bad for Carmelita. The wolf girl walked back in front of him and looked at him in the eyes.

“Now you need to promise me you will behave and not try anything funny. We are all reasonable people, and if you play nice then we will to.”

Sly gave the girl a smile then nodded his head.

“Yeah I get it. I promise I’ll be good, but I want to see Carmelita first before anything.”

“She is already waiting for us with the others. She had to promise to behave as well. If she didn’t then bad things were going to happen to you.”

“Right, thanks for that.” Sly retorted.

 He waited for the door in front of him to be opened. The wolf girl opened it slowly and gestured for him to go. Sly rolled his eyes and began walking forward but was quickly stopped.

“By the way, the name is Emily.”

The wolf girl smiled at him with what seemed like a genuine caring smile. Sly smiled back, a bit nervous and awkward, before continuing to walk out of the room. Once he was out of the room he found himself in a small hallway. He quickly realized this was the hallway upstairs from when he and Carmelita had first snuck in. Sly was lead down the narrow passage and down a flight of steps. Once they were on the first floor they came to a large opening where everything was happening. The warehouse turned living room was filled with half a dozen wolves. They were all sitting at the large table that Vince had put up earlier in the evening. Sly then noticed that at the end of the table sat Carmelita. Her wrists and upper arms were bound tight with rope, but the rest of her body was free. Next to her was an empty chair that Sly was led to and he sat down. On the left side of the table sat Nathan, Octavia and now Emily. On the right side sat Vince, Clayton, Talion and Luna. At the other end of the table was an empty chair, apparently for the last member who still had not arrived. Sly turned and looked at Carmelita, who looked back at him. Neither of them said a word but spoke with their eyes. They were just glad that the other was safe. There reunion was short lived as Clayton struck a match of the table and lit a cigar that was held in his teeth. He let out a puff of smoke before beginning to speak.

“So…yer’ the world famous Sly Cooper eh? I was expectin’ more, but Emily here says your pretty good when you got that cane of yours. Shame you didn’t bring it, you might have actually put up an interesting fight.”

Sly narrowed his eyes and glared at Clayton. Of them all Sly hated him the most. He huffed out a breath of annoyance before speaking.

“Trust me, if I had my cane right now, all of you would be out cold before you could even count to three.”

Clayton didn’t respond. He just let out another puff of smoke and waited like everyone else. Sly had enough of these wolves. He was going to get his questions answered now.

“I am done playing games with you. Who the hell are you people? What do you want with me?”

Eyes began to dart to one another as each member looked at another. Sly waited, growing more impatient by the second. Sly was about to speak again but Carmelita beat him to it.

“Well? Out with it you stupid mutts! I want to know just who you are before I charge you all with kidnapping and attempted murder!”

Things were silent for a moment, then a small snort was heard. Then another as smiles began to appear on all their faces. Then, the whole room erupted into laughter. All seven wolves were laughing like they had just heard the funniest joke ever told. Sly and Carmelita were at a loss for words. They just sat there, confused and angry as they watched this group of wolves die from laughter. After a few seconds they began to calm down, and Carmelita shouted over the rest of those who were still laughing.

“What the hell is so funny! You think this is all some kind of joke?!”

The laughter was still slowing down, but they heard Luna clear her throat, and with a giant smile on her face, she explained their actions.

“Forgive us Ms. Fox, but what you said was simply to funny.”

“And what exactly did I say that was so funny?!” Carmelita yelled

“You said you were going to ‘charge us with kidnapping and attempted murder,” Vince spoke as he calmed down. “That is what was so funny.”

By now most of the laughter was gone, but most of the wolves still had large grins plastered on there faces. Carmelita however was furious. This really was just a big joke to them. If she had her shock pistol, she would make sure each of there stupid dogs got the shock of there life. As Carmelita bickered with a few more of the wolves about why her threat was so funny, something caught Sly’s attention out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he noticed something hovering outside one of the small windows of the warehouse. It took him a second to recognize it, but the small remote-control helicopter was one of a kind. It was Penelope’s, meaning that she, Bentley and Murray were most likely here. He didn’t know how they found him, but he was glad none the less. He knew something was about to happen, and he prepared himself. With his foot he kicked Carmelita and starred at her. His eyes told her everything she needed to know.

Hearing the sudden loud screeching of tires, Sly and Carmelita bolted from there chairs and jumped behind one of the nearby couches. Before any of the wolves at the table knew what had happened, a large crash was heard followed by a large blue van barging in through the side of the building. Sheetrock and concrete was thrown everywhere as Murray drove his van into the side of the building. His van was built to withstand almost any crash he might get into, and the only damage done was the front hood being bent and the paint getting scratched off. Most of the make-shift living room was trashed. Chairs were broken and glass shattered all over the floor. The table that the wolves had been sitting at was overturned, and each of them had been flung from there seat and thrown across the room. Since Sly and Carmelita hid behind cover, they were mostly unharmed, only having a few bits of rock and drywall hit them from behind. As the dust began to settle, Sly heard the familiar voice of his friend Murray as he got out of his van and prepared for a fight.

“The Murray are come save his friend and crush some skulls!”

Sly looked at Carmelita with a grin. She first gave him a bewildered look but then rolled her eyes and smiled. Noticing a piece of glass now laying next to them, Sly was able to grab the sharp glass and easily cut his hands free of the rope that held them. Once he was free, he quickly used the glass to cut the ropes that held Carmelita. Once she was free and took a second to stretch her arms before nodding to Sly. The two of them jumped over the couch they had used for cover and ran towards the van. Bentley had opened up the back of it and motioned for them to get in.

“Hurry up you guys, lets get out of here quick!”

They were just about to reach the van before Murray was thrown towards them and hit the side of the van. Sly turned and saw Vince, the buff black wolf, who was wiping off some blood from his lip. Now things were personal. Sly ran over and made sure Murray was okay, who shook off the pain and ended up running back and plowing into Vince. Bentley looked at Sly and knew that Murray needed help, so he reached into the back of the van and threw Sly his cane. Sly grabbed it and twirled it around before turning towards Carmelita. Bentley had thrown her a shock pistol which Sly had taken from Carmelita about two years ago. With both of them being armed with there weapons, Sly and Carmelita nodded to one another before heading to go help out Murray.

Murray and Vince were locked head to head with another other. Both were equal in strength, which was very surprising since very few people could actually stand their own ground against Murray. Sly and Carmelita were going to help him but were stopped by two more of the wolf members. Clayton and Octavia had jumped from out of the shadows and stood before the fox and raccoon. The four of them just starred at one another, each one waiting for the other to make a move. Sly had grown to despise Clayton, he was an emotionless psycho who didn’t give a second thought about taking someone’s life. Sly was going to make him pay for threatening Carmelita’s life like he did. That, and he wanted to wipe that smug grin off of his face. Carmelita was starring down Octavia. The gorgeous wolf was stunning to any man, but she had not only threated to kill Carmelita and had almost done so, but she had talked about seducing Sly and wanting to get him under the covers with her. She was a total bitch in Carmelita’s eyes, and she was going to drive her foot into her pretty little face to show her that looks meant nothing if a girl couldn’t defend herself. They stood there for what felt like hours until Clayton spoke.

“Well, looks like I’m gonna get my wish after all. Let’s see just how good ya are Cooper.”

With that, Clayton reached back and pulled out his dual katanas and held them at his sides in a defensive position. If he wanted a fight, Sly would give him one, and he rushed towards him with his cane ready. The two clashed weapons and the battle was on. Clayton was quick and precise with his attacks, but Sly was quicker and more nimble. He had fought sword wielders in the past before, and his thief-like reflexes gave him an advantage. As the boys began their fight, Carmelita and Octavia began throwing insults at each other.

“Your man’s pretty quick. I hope he isn’t as quick in bed with me later.”

“You absolute disgusting bitch! Sly would never sleep with you, I can’t think of any man who would sleep with such a cow!”

“How DARE you! Who in the hell do you think you are?!”

With a flick of her wrists two knives appeared, one in each hand. Octavia twirled them around then glared at Carmelita with a wicked smile.

“I’m going to enjoy cutting up that ugly mask you call a face. It might even be an improvement, so you had best thank me now so I do a good job.”

“You stupid whore, you couldn’t hit water if you fell out a boat. I’m sure that purple dye is just to cover up your natural blond hair. It would explain why you’re such a moron.”

“Big talk coming from a forty year old virgin!”

“At least I won’t die alone behind bars. Who would want to take care of an old witch like you?”

“Oh don’t you worry, I can and will have any man I want. How long do you think your thieving boyfriend will stick around once he has a taste of what true pleasure is, something only I can give him!”

“You’re such a pig. Even a blind man could see how ugly you look!”

“If I’m ugly, then you are an abomination from hell. But don’t worry, I’ll send you back there real quick!”

With the two of them done exchanging compliments, Octavia took the first move and flung her knives towards Carmelita. She dodged them just barely, with one of them having scratched the side of her ear. As she rolled out of the way she pointed her shock pistol and fired a shock round at the purple wolf. Octavia rolled forwards and under the passing bullet that hit the wall behind her, then ran toward Carmelita with two knew knives in her hands.

* * *

 

Bentley and Penelope were watching the fights from inside of the van. They watched as Sly took on Clayton, Carmelita took on Octavia, and Murray took on Vince. Bentley was rapidly thinking of anything he could do to help, but then noticed a few of the other wolves in the room. Emily was sitting up by the catwalk that hung over the room and looking down at Sly. She was waiting for the right moment to pounce and catch the raccoon off guard. Another wolf, Luna, was standing close to where Carmelita and Octavia were fighting. Bentley watched as the robed wolf began to move her hands around in a strange pattern. As she did, a black shadow-like mist began to form around her. The shadows began to grow until they were about the same size as Luna. They took on Luna’s form, and where once there stood just one wolf, now there stood three.

Magic, Bentley thought. Why was he not surprised. In there adventures he and the gang had come across many supernatural and logic-defying things. Zombies, cursed masks, hell even a real life Chinese dragon. Bentley had accepted that fact that magic existed, but the kind he had just witnessed was unlike any he had seen before.

The last two wolves were over by Murray and Vince. Nathan hid behind a piece of rubble and was tinkering with some kind of device. It looked like some kind of gun, but one that was heavily modified and served a specific purpose. The other wolf, Talion, was flipping through the pages of a large book. It was more of a tome really. Bentley couldn’t make out the words, but he could tell the book contained many arcane symbols and unknown characters in a secret language. He watched as Talion found the page he was looking for and began to mumble something in an unknown language. The book began to glow as did Talion’s eyes. Bentley watched as a blue aura shot out of the tome and landed in Talion’s hand. Talion clutched the blue aura in his paw and his arms began to flash and crack as small shots of electricity formed around his hands. A mage, Bentley thought, or a wizard? He didn’t know the different or care, but what he did know what that things were not looking good. His friends were outnumbered and outmatched by the wolves. Murray was barely holding his own against Vince, if either Nathan or Talion stepped in Murray would surely be overpowered. Sly and Carmelita on the other hand were holding there own well, and even seemed to be winning their respective fights, but Bentley knew things would soon change. The many shadow clones of Luna would soon run in and overwhelm Carmelita, and the nimble and acrobatic Emily would be able to distract Sly long enough for Clayton to send one of his swords through his heart. Bentley felt powerless to save his friends, but then he remembered one of his gadgets that he had. Reaching into his backpack, he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. It was a small ball with a button on the top. He called in the ‘Wolf Repellent’. When activated it would send out a high-pitched whistle that only wolves could hear. The sound would be like a deafening scream that would make any canine cover their ears in pain. With not a second to waste, Bentley pushed the button and rolled the ball into the center of the room. A few seconds later, and the device began its work.

Almost all of the wolves in the room instantly began yelling and covered their ears in an attempt to block out the noise, but to no avail. Nathan, Talion and Luna all fell to their knees and screamed in pain. Whatever magic both Luna and Talion were performing instantly vanished. The copies of Luna dissipated, and the lighting charge Talion was about to cast fizzled out. Vince had pushed Murray away then took a few steps back. He was clutching his ears in pain before Murray delivered an uppercut that knocked the wolf out. Emily, who had been waiting up by the second-story catwalk, ended up falling down and landing on one of the sofa’s. She to was screaming in pain. The last two were Clayton and Octavia. Octavia was clearly in pain from the noise, but tried to press on and slice at Carmelita, but her quickness was severely hindered and she was now an easy target. Carmelita was quick to deliver a round-house kick that sent the wolf flying back and into a pile of rubble. She was down and out, leaving Clayton the last wolf standing. He was gritting his teeth in pain, but he was fighting through it. He still kept up his attacks on Sly, but they were must slower and a lot less powerful. Sly saw this as his chance to put the dog down once and for all. When Clayton swung his swords, Sly was able to hook his cane around both of them and twist. The resulting motion caused the two swords to fly from Clayton’s hands and land on the other end of the room. Having lost his swords, Clayton reached for his pistoles inside his jacket, but Sly was to quick and swept his cane under Clayton’s legs, forcing him to fall hard onto his back. He was down and in pain, but not out. Sly stood over him and watched as he tried to reach for another weapon. Sly twirled his cane then brought it down to knock the wolf out for good, but his attack never hit its intended target.

Instead, the end of Sly’s cane clashed with something else. A metallic rod stood between Sly’s cane and Clayton’s face. Sly looked up to see where the mysterious object had come from, but what he saw only made his ears flatten over his head. He wasn’t the biggest wolf, or the strongest, or the fastest, but he was by far the most intimidating. The black and white wolf starred down at Sly with narrow and determined eyes. He wore a long black coat that draped down his legs and arms, with buttons holding it together down his chest. In his hands he held a bo-staff that ranged just over six feet, about half a foot shorter then he was. His staff had blocked Sly’s attack, and with a quick thrust of his arms the wolf pushed Sly and his cane away from Clayton. The new wolf seemed unfazed by the deafening noise that had brought all the others to their knees screaming in pain. Sly and the new wolf starred each other down for just a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. All time seemed to stop in the few seconds as Sly tried to get a grasp on his new foe. He was different than the others. He stood tall and proud, like he was a king over everyone around him. He kept a firm yet flexible grip on his bo-staff and held it to his side like a walking stick, waiting for Sly to make a move. Sly felt his body move towards the wolf and swing his cane, yet his mind had never told him to do so. His attack was unsuccessful and was quickly blocked by the wolfs staff. Before Sly could react, the wolf had positioned his staff so it was caught in the hook of Sly’s cane, and with a forceful pull of his staff, the wolf was able to steal the cane from Sly’s grip and send it flying across the room and landing out of anyone’s reach. Sly, now disarmed, was hit in the chest by the staff which made him instinctually hunch forward. He then felt the staff strike against his back and he fell to the floor and landed on his stomach. The air had been knocked from his lungs and he tried desperately to breath despite being in a lot of pain. A foot was placed at his side as he was rolled over onto his back. Sly looked up at he heaved for air and felt a pressure on his chest. The wolf stood over him and held him down with the end of his staff. The two starred into each other’s eyes. The wolfs eyes showed no fear or fury, just ager and determination. Sly heard someone yell, but he wasn’t sure who it was. Carmelita had yelled at the wolf to drop his weapon and stand away from Sly. The black and white wolf gave no reply and simply moved his gaze from Sly to Carmelita. His stare sent a chill down Carmelita’s spine, and she felt her blood run cold. Her arms and legs began to shake, but she held her pistol firm and kept it pointed at the wolf. Even if she wanted to, she wouldn’t have been able to pull the trigger, and the wolf knew this. Keeping one hand of the staff that held down Sly, he reached into his coat with his other hand and withdrew a small handgun. It was a simple .22, cheap and effective. Without even looking at its location, the wolf pointed his gun and shot the device that was making the horrible whistling noise. In an instant the sound vanished, and the wolves who had once been incapacitated were now slowly getting back up. Before Carmelita could react to the change, her gun was flung from her hands. A knife had been thrown and smashed the gun to pieces. Octavia stood up from where she had been laying and walked towards the defenseless fox. Carmelita was to in shock to realize her coming, but felt the fist that collided with her cheek as she was send to her knees. Octavia stood over Carmelita with her knives ready, but Carmelita was down and out for now.

The new wolf then returned his gaze down to Sly. Sly had regained his breath and was just realizing what was going on. His eyes locked with the wolfs once again, and he found he was almost petrified and unable to move. It wasn’t some kind of spell or magic that held Sly, but fear, true and utter fear. His mind went back to the night of his parent’s death. He was feeling the same fear and helplessness now as he did that night. He didn’t know what it was about this wolf that gave him such anxiety, but whatever it was it kept him from moving a muscle. He finally broke his gaze and looked around. He watched, albeit upside-down, as Bentley and Penelope were dragged from the van by Nathan and Talion. Murray had been fighting Vince again but got confused when multiple copies of the black wolf appeared. The confusion allowed Vince the opening he needed to grab Murray and subdue him. Murray was a fighter, even was down, but he was no match against Vince now and was quickly locked in a choke hold. Sly’s gaze then looked over to where his cane had been flung. He watched as Clayton walked over and picked up the famous Cooper cane, twirling it in his fingers before walking over towards him. Clayton now stood next to the soon-to-be named wolf and presented the cane to him.

“He’s the one we’ve been looking for Vrook, the newest Cooper.”

The wolf, now known as Vrook, took the cane and looked over it. He seemed to be studying it, making sure it was the real thing. Satisfied, he twirled the cane around in his fingers speaking to Clayton.

“You did well Clayton. Go and prepare some refreshments for Mr. Cooper and his friends, I am sure they are winded from there fight.”

“Sir?”

Vrook turned and looked Clayton in the eyes. Whatever Clayton was about to say next never came. His eyes hung low and he nodded before walking away. Vrook had a low deep voice. It was firm and strong, the kind that made him a natural leader. Turning back to Sly, Vrook pressed a button on the grip on his bo-staff and the lengths of it collapsed until it was no more than a foot long. He then placed the collapsed staff into his coat before holding out an open hand for Sly. Sly was naturally confused and skeptical, but when he looked up at Vrook he didn’t feel afraid anymore. Something about him told Sly he could be trusted. Without even realizing it until it was over, Sly reached up and took Vrooks hand and was helped to his feet. Sly stood before Vrook and realized the height difference. Sly was almost a good foot shorter than Vrook, so he had to look up in order to meet him eye to eye. Vrook then gave Sly a warm smile before speaking again.

“You must forgive the others for there actions tonight. It has been a long time since we have all been together, and time has a way of dulling one’s sense of morality and honor.”

Vrook turned towards Vince who still had Murray in a headlock and snapped a finger. Vince instantly let go and backed away from Murray. Nathan and Talion had already backed away from Bentley and Penelope, who both made there way over to Murray to make sure he was alright. That left Octavia, who still stood over Carmelita with anger in her eyes. Vrook looked at her and whistled to get her attention. Octavia looked up at him and glared, but her anger was shorted lived once she locked eyes with Vrook. Defeated almost instantly, Octavia put away her knives and backed away from Carmelita. Vrook looked at Sly and gestured towards Carmelita, wanting him to go to her. Sly did so without a second thought as he knelt down next to her. She was breathing slow in deep as she tried to keep herself conscious. The blow Octavia had dealt her had almost knocked her out. Sly ran a hand down her cheek and moved her head to face his. The two of them starred into one another’s eyes. Sly cracked a smile, to which Carmelita repaid the same. Sly wrapped Carmelita’s arm around his shoulder and helped her to her feet, then looked up and Vrook.

“So you must be the leader of this group of dogs hu?”

 Vrook cracked a smile before nodding and speaking.

“Yes, I guess you could say that. I have watched over them for a long time, and in that time they have learned who is the alpha of this pack.”

Vrook gave each of them a passing glance. None of them dared look at him out of regret for there actions. Sly noticed this and became even more curious.

“Why did you tell them to back off? I thought you needed me?”

“We do, but violence and intimidation should never have been the first means of asking you to help us, isn’t that right?”

All the wolves in the room slowly nodded while still keeping there eyes down. Sly had to admit he was impressed and shocked how submissive they had all become. Now that his friends were here and he and Carmelita were safe, Sly’s curiosity started to grow.

“So just what exactly do you need me for then?”

“Mainly information Mr. Cooper. Let’s get things tidied up around here first before we speak any more.”

Vrook turned and looked at Talion. After seeing Vrook give him a nod, Talion began flipping through the pages of his tome to find a spell. Once he found it, Talion whispered a few unknown words before his hands began to glow green. With the spell ready, Talion turned to face the massive hole in the wall Murray had caused by driving in. He held out his glowing green hands and stretched out his fingers. Slowly, the rubble that littered the room began to move and reshape. Drywall and sheetrock fused back together, and in just a few seconds the wall was completely fixed and back to it’s original form. The van still sat in the warehouse but had been moved and was now sitting by one of the large garage doors that lead outside. Sly was amazed at the magic he had just witnessed. He had never seen anything like it before, though he shouldn’t have been to surprised given all the weird and unexplainable things he had seen in the past. Accepting the fact that Talion was some kind of magic wielder, Sly watched as Clayton returned with a large jug of water and several empty glasses. The table that had been set up before was now upside down in the middle of the room. Vrook walked over and brought a foot down on the edge. The table ended up flying a few feet in the air and spinning around before landing back right-side up. With there table now ready, Vrook gestured for Sly and the others to take a seat. One by one each of the wolves grabbed a chair and brought it to the table without a word. Sly had got a chair and set Carmelita down in it. She was still recovering from her blow, and her vision was very blurry and spiny. Sly walked over and saw how the rest of the gang were doing. Bentley was trying to tell Sly they all needed to get out of here now, but Sly calmed him down and told him everything was under control. Bentley eventually caved in and let Sly do his thing. He, Penelope and Murray all made there may back to the van and waited for Sly to be finished. With his friends safe Sly walked over and took a seat next to Carmelita. The two of them sat at one end up the table and faced Vrook who sat al the other end. The sides of the table were taken up by the rest of the wolves, but none of them said and word and kept there gazed lowered. Vrook took in a deep breath then began to speak.

“Once again I want to apologize to you Mr. Cooper for the actions of my fellow pack members. They can be…over zealous at times. We all make mistakes, just some worse than others.”

“Yeah well, being kidnapped and almost being killed several times isn’t how I expected to spend my Friday night. Now I have some questions that I demand get answered right now.”

“Of course Mr. Cooper. Please, ask what you will.”

“Well first off, who are you? What are you people?”

“That is a very excellent question. Allow me to officially introduce myself. My name is Vrook and I am the leader of The Wolf Pack. We are a team of highly specialized and skilled individuals who are on a quest of sorts, and we need your help.”

Sly crossed his arms and looked over each of the wolves at the table. Each one was different and unique, both in appearance and personality. Sly had to admit, together they would make one hell of a team, but he still didn’t know why they needed him.

“What do you need my help with?”

“Well first, I need to know if the rumors are true. Did you in fact defeat ClockWerk?”

The question left Sly stunned. He didn’t think anyone outside of his gang and a few others knew about ClockWerk.

“Yeah…I beat ClockWerk, twice in fact. After the second time we smashed the Hate Chip which had been keeping his parts from being destroyed. He’s nothing but dust now.”

“That is what I thought. I congratulate you for your victory Mr. Cooper. ClockWerk was a vile beast who could not be controlled. The world is better off without him. Now then, onto the main matter of things.”

All the wolves’ eyes darted to look at Vrook, then to Sly. Obviously whatever was going to be said next was very important to them.

“The reason we need your help is because you possess the only thing that can unlock your families vault door. We need you to open the Cooper Vault and retrieve something for us.”

Now Sly was really shocked. How did they know about his family’s vault, or even that there was something inside that they wanted? No one should have known about the vault save for Sly and his friends, but the reality of things also was that the vault now rested at the bottom of the ocean.

“I’m sorry, but there are two reasons why that won’t be possible. One, no one but a Cooper is allowed inside that vault, and certainly nothing would ever be coming out. Second…the vault and everything in it collapsed and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Whatever treasure you wanted is now long gone.”

Everything was silent. The realization of what Sly had just said began to appear on there faces. Many eyes went wide, and they all turned to face Vrook. Vrooks grin slowly vanished as he adopted a neutral expression. He sat there for a few seconds processing what Sly had said, before slowly clenching his hands into fists. Ears everywhere quickly went low, and a dark presence filled the room. Vrook starred into Sly’s eyes, and Sly into Vrooks. Anger unlike anything Sly had ever seen erupted in Vrooks eyes. Sly felt paralyzed again, but now he also felt a burning pain in his head. Vrook slammed his fist down on the table, the force being enough to split the table in two. All the other wolves backed away quickly as Vrook stood and began screaming at Sly.

“ **WHAT!!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE VAULT IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS, WHAT WE HAVE LOST?!”**

Sly backed away slowly while holding onto Carmelita. She hadn’t been able to keep herself awake and had passed out while Sly and Vrook spoke. He held her in his arms and held his ground. He would have been cowering in fear, but his love for Carmelita gave him the strength he needed to keep himself calm. Vrooks anger was shorted lived however. Sly’s ear twitched as he heard a strange sound, but he quickly fell to the floor once he heard the bullet crash through the window. It had been aimed at Vrooks head but had missed him by a hair of a millimeter. Vrooks rage instantly vanished as he and the others realized what had just happened, but that was short lived to. Suddenly, all they could hear and see were bullets being shot out and crashing into the warehouse. Everyone took cover as quickly as possible, but this was just the start of things. Several large explosions went off as sections of the walls were eviscerated and military gear-clad soldiers began pouring it. There was at least a dozen, maybe more. They were dressed in dark clothing with high-tech and specialized military gear and armor. They quickly advanced in and began shooting at anything that moved. Sly had ran back and ducked behind some cover. The back of the van opened up and Bentley yelled for Sly to get in so they could drive away. Sly was about to run towards them but was forced to stay put by incoming gun fire. The van was being shot up as well, but Murray had reinforced it to withstand almost any caliber bullet that came in contact with it.

The wolves were having their own problems with this new enemy. Most of the soldiers were keeping them pinned down, but that wasn’t going to last for much longer. Vrook pulled out and extended his bo-staff then quickly rolled out into the open and took on a defensive stance. Instantly the soldiers began firing at him, but Vrook proved to be far harder to hit then anyone had thought. He twirled his staff around in front of him at an amazing speed, and he was able to block and deflect any bullet that came towards him. While Vrook had their attention, Clayton pulled out his swords and jumped in behind the soldiers. His kills were quick and clean, slicing the necks of four soldiers with one quick motion. Clayton did not see the soldier behind him that was preparing to shoot, but before he could a knife was delivered into the soldier’s chest. He stood stunned for a moment before another one was thrown, this time impaling his head. Octavia’s aim was perfect, and she had rarely missed a kill.

The few soldiers who had been shooting at Sly turned to start shooting at the wolves. Seeing this as his chance, Sly ran and hopped into the back of the van and laid Carmelita down. They were about to drive away until Sly realized he didn’t have his cane, Vrook still had it. Cursing under his breath, Sly ran back out and looked at the situation. There were still eight guards shooting at the wolves. Two were focused on Vrook, three were keeping the other wolves pinned down, and the last three were fighting Clayton and Octavia. Okay, things weren’t too bad Sly thought. He snuck his way along the side of the warehouse, careful to make sure no one noticed him. Successful in his advance, Sly kept himself hidden a few feet behind Vrook. His cane lay on the floor just behind Vrook. He would wait until Vrook stepped away so he could rush in, grab it, and get back to the van before any of his friends got hurt.

Vrook had been keeping up his defense and had not once been hit. The two soldiers who kept up their assault on him never seemed to run out of bullets, and they began to advance towards him slowly. Vrook held his ground, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. His moment came when one of the soldiers fell to the floor, a knife having been thrown into his back. With only one soldier left Vrook jumped and flipped over the soldier, landing behind him and quickly dealing a blow to his back. The resulting blow send the soldier to the ground, and with a hit from Vrooks staff he was out cold. The last of the soldiers were being taken care of by Clayton. Vrook looked back and saw Sly reaching down to grab his cane. The two locked eyes for a moment. Both glared at each other, clearly neither one of them now liked the other. Sly was done being a part of this crazy conspiracy. These wolves were insane, and obviously someone wanted them dead. Vrook gripped his staff tight and began to walk towards Sly, but he and everyone else in the warehouse froze when they heard the shot go out.

Everyone turned and looked at the small gold jackal. He wore the same military gear as the rest of the soldiers did, but his head was uncovered. His arm was held up and in his grip was .357 magnum pistol, with one bullet now missing from the clip. The jackal looked at Vrook, then Sly, then back to Vrook before giving a small grin.

“Well well well, I didn’t actually think you would show up Vrook. After what happened so long ago I would have thought you would stay hidden like the dog you are.”

The jackals voice was clearly American, though Sly couldn’t place a region. Eastern maybe? Vrook’s eyes narrowed and his teeth bared.

“Jenkins, why am I not surprised to see you here. I should have known it was to good to think you wouldn’t find us.”

“Yes, you should have known, but then again you always were a poor leader. Kavar knows leadership, true leadership. He inspires respect and loyalty from his troops, not fear.”

Vrooks anger only grew the more the jackal spoke. All his focus was on him, and Vrook didn’t even notice when Sly slipped away and was headed back to the van. Sly was still curious as to what was going on, but he had enough of being shot at for one day. Sly didn’t want to be around for whatever was about to happen, so he carefully made his way back to the van as the wolf and jackal spoke.

“The Lone Wolf is dead Vrook. Why do you keep on trying to find him? He turned you and your whole pack into monsters. He betrayed you.”

“The only one who betrayed him was Kavar. His lust for power drove him mad!”

“Kavar saw the true evil of The Lone Wolf. He wasn’t a hero, he was a villain. Why can’t you see that?”

“All I see is a rat who blindly follows the orders of a madman. He would see this world burn if he could be king of the ashes.”

“Maybe, but sacrifices have to be made Vrook. I had hoped you would be more reasonable after all these years, but I know now you and your pack will never change.”

Jenkins the jackal brought his pistol up and pointed it at Vrook. Vrook held his staff ready, but he did not stand alone. Behind him, the members of his pack stood tall and ready for a fight. The Wolf Pack, Sly remembered. That is what they called themselves. He jumped into the back of the van and told Murray to punch it. He gave one final glance out the back of the van and starred at Vrook. Vrook starred back at him, realizing he had gotten away. The two stared at each other for only a few seconds, but they both knew one thing. They would be seeing each other again, maybe not tomorrow or the day after, but soon. With one final stern look Sly closed the van door the Murray rammed his way out of the warehouse. It was just past 11pm, and Sly slouched down on the floor of the van. So much had happened in such a short time. His brain was trying to comprehend everything that had happened, but it was to much for him to handle right now. All he knew was that he was safe, and so was Carmelita. He looked down and saw her sleeping form next to him. He smiled, knowing that despite everything that had happened, she was safe now. Now that he had a moment of peace, his mind and body began to give out. He needed rest, he physically and mentally could not stay awake anymore. Taking one final deep breath, Sly leaned his head back against the wall of the van and closed his eyes. He instantly passed out, and his mind wandered into the land of dreams. 

* * *

 

Jenkins cursed himself for underestimating The Wolf Pack. He had them right where he needed them, but together they were virtually unstoppable. They had escaped thanks to Talion and Luna’s magical abilities. Kavar was going to be pissed, but then Jenkins realized something. That raccoon he saw, he was the one that he saw sneaking into the warehouse just hours ago. Why had they not killed him, unless he was someone important. It took the jackal little more than a minute to realize who it had been. A smile kept over his face as he realized everything was working out better than he had hopped.

“So Vrook has found himself a Cooper eh? I wonder if he is desperate enough to try and use the vault. If he does…then The Lone Wolf may yet still live.”


	9. Date Night Take Two

Sly walked in the darkness not knowing where he was or what he was doing. He could see nothing but the endless black abyss that surrounded him. He stood on nothing yet could feel solid ground beneath him. Sly had no emotion, no concrete thought or knowledge. He knew what he was, yet he didn’t know who he was. He was an empty vessel, his body and mind the same, yet his soul was faint, almost none existent. After an eternity of endless walking, Sly finally stopped in place and starred out without purpose. When he blinked, the world around him changed. What was once dark now became light, a blinding white that went on for infinity. Among the whiteness of the world around him, a single black figure stood before him. He was clad in darkness, with no distinguishable features able to be seen except for his form. He stood a foot taller than Sly and had sharp pointed ears and a long snout. His shadowy form waved in the non-existent breeze, but what truly stood out was the eyes. They were a deep crimson red, darker then fresh blood. The figure starred down at Sly, piercing his faint soul. Sly still felt nothing. He should have been afraid at the very least, but he felt nothing. It was like he was witnessing things from a third-person view. He could see himself and the figure. Sly’s body was beaten and deformed. His arms and legs had many gashes and cuts with dried blood clinging to his clothes. A fresh cut ran across his chest, and his face was cut and beat so bad he could hardly be recognized. Sly’s spirit watched from above as the red eyed shadow reached down and cupped Sly’s face under the chin. The figure spoke, his voice sounded like it was far away and carried a low echo. His tone was low and deep, yet he spoke with a calm and almost fatherly voice.

**“They will destroy you to get what they want. They care nothing for this world, or anyone in it. Join me, and together we can put an end to their malic and destruction and bring peace and order to the world.”**

Sly’s spirit watched as his body melted into shadow and sank to the floor. Then, it rose up again and retook the raccoons form, but his body and appearance was changed. His fur was much darker, the light grey was now almost black, and his striped rings were as black as the shadow that stood before him. His body was healed, and he was even stronger and more built. His normal blue clothes were now a deep grey and his yellow collar and sleeves were red like blood. He held his cane in his hand, yet the normal brown wood was solid black, and the golden hook was now a deep blood red. The new Sly opened his eyes slowly to show the same deep crimson as the figure before him. Sly’s face formed his world-famous smirk, yet now it was much more dark and sinister. He dropped to one knee and kneeled before his new master. The dark shadow placed a hand down on evil Sly’s shoulder and spoke once more.

**“Together Sly, we shall reshape this world into any image we choose. We will destroy The Wolf Pack and take everything from them. We shall ascend as gods over the mortal world, and at last, achieve everlasting peace, and harmony.”**

The ground under the shadows feet began to grow dark as blackness spread out like water running down a river. It spread out like a web and began to engulf the whole world once again in darkness, only it wasn’t just darkness, it was the absence of existence. As it spread, the dark being turned its gaze and looked up to where Sly’s spirit was looking down. Sly could see a sinister and evil smile creep across his face, the likes of which would send any man cowering in fear and sorrow.

**“You cannot stop, what is to come. It is your destiny. You, are MINE!”**

The inky blackness engulfed around Sly’s spirit and crushed him. Only now did Sly feel, and all he felt was pain. He would scream if he had a voice, but he could only watch and endure the pain as his soul was snuffed out and destroyed.

* * *

 

Sly woke from his nightmare gasping for air. He sat up in his bed and began heaving for breath. As he breathed, he looked around wildly at his surroundings. He was in his room back at the safehouse. He saw his nightstand, his bookcase, his closet. Everything was where it had been the last time he was here. The more he breathed, the more he calmed down. Realizing everything was just a dream he laid back and looked up at the ceiling. Things had been getting worse ever since he started being a thief again. First it was dreams about ClockWerk, now they almost always had this shadow man in them. He didn’t know what it meant, or who the shadow could be, but after what had just happened last night, Sly had a nagging feeling things were somehow all tied together. He brought his hands up to his face and sighed. He ran his hands down his face and stretched, but instantly reeled back in pain. His chest felt like it had a knife going through it. He looked down, finding his shirt had been taken off, and saw how bruised up he was. Mainly his chest, but also his sides and ribs were dotted with purple marks, as well as small slashes from where Clayton had been able to get him with his swords. It had been a long time since Sly had been in a real fight, and even long since he had been so beaten up. Taking a moment for the pain to pass, he slowly moved his arms to remove the blanket that was over him. At least he was wearing pants, albeit they were pair of his pajama bottoms that were ironically patterned with his own signature logo that he used as calling cards. They had been a joke-gift one Christmas from Murray, but Sly had kept them because they actually were very comfy. He chuckled remembering that year and slowly inched himself out of bed. He planted his feet on the ground and took a second to catch his breath. He was pretty sore from all his injuries, but from what he could tell nothing was very serious and it should all heal up over time. Sly took a deep breath before pushing himself off of the bed and onto his feet. He felt much heavier and winded, but he knew the pain would pass in time. He took a step forward but almost lost his footing. His legs ached though he did not know why. He had grabbed the nightstand and held himself up, taking a moment to breath and let the pain pass. Ready, he took another step, this time ready for the pain. It hurt, but he stayed standing and was able to make his way over to the window. He looked out as the sun was beginning to set. He had slept the entire next day after the warehouse incident. He wasn’t surprised. Being nocturnal he was used to sleeping during the day and being awake at night. He looked over at the clock on the wall. It was just past 5pm. Later then he normally woke up but given the circumstances he was just glad he woke up at all. He looked over and noticed his cane was propped up in its normal stand. Bentley and Murray were great friends. They knew how to take care of him and where to put back all his stuff. He reached over and grabbed the cane and used as a walking stick to help him get around. Now possessing a third leg, Sly made his way over to his closet and opened the sliding doors. He had many pairs of his normal thieving outfit, as well as a few other, more special outfits. Each of his disguises from past adventures were hung up on racks. They brought back memories every time Sly saw them, and it always brought a smile to his face. Needing only a shirt, Sly reached in and grabbed a plane light blue T-shirt and carefully put it on. His arms and sides ached as he reached up to get his arms in the sleeves, and once it was on he let out a sigh of relief. He looked back in the closet one last time and decided to grab his dark blue lounge robe and put it on. He wasn’t going to be moving around much for a while so might as well get comfortable. Now more presentable, and warm and cozy due to his robe, Sly made his way to the door with his cane in hand.

He and the gang had set up there safehouse in one of the many abandoned apartment complexes that could be found in the middle of Paris. Over the years they had restructured and refurbished the building to suit there needs. It was a three-story building with a secret basement Bentley had constructed. They made sure all the work they did couldn’t be seen from the outside, so anyone walking by would still think the place was completely abandoned. Inside however, it was completely decked out to suit their gangs particular ‘trade’ in life. Each member pretty much got an entire floor to themselves. Sly’s was the top floor. There he had his main bedroom, a training room, a very small kitchen area, and a large open area where he could practice some of his more complex and special thieving moves. He also had a spare bedroom just in case the day ever came when they would have ‘special’ company, a certain hot-headed fox perhaps. The second floor use to be Bentley’s, but after his injuries that caused him to be paralyzed he moved down to the first floor. Murray now had the second floor. He had his VERY large bedroom, as well as a gym and exercise room, and a small meditation room that he made after his time with the guru. He had a lot more room by square feet than the others, but none of them minded at all. Bentley now had part of the first floor, as well as the basement. He had his main computer station set up on the first floor, but the rest of the floor was dedicated for all of them. A large living room, the main kitchen, a small dining room, even a gaming room that had a foosball table and there gaming consoles. It was a total boy’s den, and they all very much enjoyed it. The majority of Bentley’s stuff could be found underground. It was there he had his main workshop and laboratory set up. It was also where he and Penelope had stored the secondary vault Sly had left for them after the incident on Kaine Island. It  had more gold and precious jewels in one spot then any other place known on earth, and it alone made Sly unofficially one of the richest people in the world. Add to that the main vault that now lies at the bottom of the ocean, and Sly becomes the richest man to ever walk earth. The gang would never have to worry about money problems ever again, but that didn’t stop their criminal ways. Sly had been and always will be a thief, and thieving is what brought them all together. It wasn’t about the money, it was about the thrill, the experience. It was about busting the real criminals and showing the world that they were still and always would be the best thieves ever.

Sly opened the door and walked out into the small hallway. He could faintly hear the sound of the TV on the first floor and slowly made his way down the flight of stairs. He passed Murray’s floor but did not see him, meaning he was most likely downstairs or out in the garage working on the van. As he came down the last flight of stairs, Sly looked down into the living room and saw a rather surprising sight. Bentley was, as always, in the corner of the room type away at his computer. What had surprised Sly was seeing Carmelita. She was sitting on the couch, her backed faced to him, and she was walking TV. It looked to be some kind of Spanish program. Sly knew a little bit of Spanish and could vaguely understand what was being said. Something about a wife yelling at her husband for being late maybe? It didn’t matter, but Sly was glad to see Carmelita was awake and seemingly okay at the moment. He crept his way down the stairs taking care not to make a sound. When he was directly behind her, he smiled and lowered himself down so his mouth was right next to her ear.

“Hey there beautiful.”

Carmelita’s fur stood on end as she quickly turned to see who had spoken. When she saw him, her heart skipped a beat and her eyes went slightly wide.

“Sly?! Thank god!”

She quickly got up and moved behind the couch to give him a hug. Sly was a bit caught off guard by the sudden gesture and grunted in pain as she embraced him. Bentley turned around and noticed Sly, and he quickly wheeled himself over.

“Sly, thank god you’re awake! I wasn’t sure how long you were going to stay out. I was starting to get worried.”

Sly smiled and returned Carmelita’s hug with his own before she pulled away. Sly gave her a thankful look before turning to Bentley.

“You know me pal, I like to get my beauty sleep.”

Bentley rolled his eyes and sneezed before responding.

“Well you haven’t lost your sense of humor, that’s for sure. How do you feel?”

“Alright, pretty sore everywhere though. I got quite the handful of bruises and cuts all over. Nothing to serious I think. Owf!”

Sly clutched his chest as a sudden and instant pain shot through him. Carmelita quickly held on to him as he fell forward and grabbed onto the couch. He clutched his chest and panted as the pain made its way through him then dissipated. Carmelita lightly tugged on his arm to get him to move.

“Come on, come sit down. You need to not stand so much or else you’ll hurt yourself more.”

Carmelita guided Sly to the front of the couch and sat him down. He plopped down and relaxed his body into the soft cushioned embrace as he took slow and deep breaths. Carmelita came and sat beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. Sly looked over and chuckled a little, though it hurt to do so.

“So, you finally found our secret hideout. Guess we had best pack up and move someplace else hu?”

“You’re not going anywhere you sly raccoon. You’re staying right where you are so I can keep my eyes on you at all times.”

Sly smiled and laughed before noticing Bentley in front of him. He had a very…’Bentley’ type expression. Sly could guess what it was about, and a took a breath before speaking.

“Bentley, I know you don’t like the idea of Carmelita being here, but things are different now. We are…working things out between us, but she isn’t going to arrest any of us, right?”

Sly gave Carmelita and cocked-brow expression along with a playful smile. Carmelita returned her own smile to Sly before looking at Bentley.

“I know you probably don’t trust me, but what Sly says is true. You might all be criminals, but you’re not the bad guys. That, and I am technically off duty right now, so I couldn’t arrest you even if I wanted to.”

Bentley starred at Carmelita for a moment before looking at Sly.

“You know, of all the things we have been through and seen, the last thing I ever expected was you two actually getting together. Normally I would be skeptical, but after what happened last night, I’m willing to believe anything is possible. I might not be fully convinced yet, but if Sly says he trust you…then I do to.”

Bentley turned back to Carmelita and held out a hand. Carmelita smiled and reached out to shake his hand. The two opposites grasped one another and gave each other a firm shake. Trust was key for things to work out, not only between the team and Carmelita, but specifically between Sly and Carmelita. Satisfied with one another, Bentley turned back to Sly and began his questioning.

“Alright Sly, I need to know everything that happened last night. Who were those guys, and how did you both end up at that warehouse in the middle of the night?”

* * *

 

Sly ran through everything that had happened before Bentley and the others had showed up. He explained how he and Carmelita saw one of them at night running along the rooftops and decided to follow. He said that when they had followed the mysterious figure to their warehouse they found a way in through the roof and listened in on what was going on. Sly gave the names of each of the wolves and told Bentley they were called The Wolf Pack, and that they needed Sly in order to retrieve something from the Cooper Vault. Sly had told them what had happened on Kaine Island, and the leader of the pack, Vrook, flipped out before the army guys showed up. While Sly was explaining, Bentley had pulled up his holographic computer and began searching the internet for any information about The Wolf Pack or any of the members. Bentley unfortunate couldn’t find anything, even on he deep web where almost any and every kind of information could be found. Carmelita was noticeably a little upset that Bentley knew how to navigate the dark web so well, and even noticed he had a few booked mark pages for sites that were clearly very illegal, however she let things slide knowing that this was just who Bentley was. Sly was upset to hear that there was no information about these guys. They clearly were all very skilled and deadly, especially the magical ones which really freaked Bentley out. With nothing to go on, Bentley called it quits and simply gave out a long sigh.

“Well whoever or whatever those guys were, they’re most likely long gone. I don’t know who those army guys were, but I bet they took care of them.”

“Bentley, I watched one of those wolves take down half a dozen of those soldiers with a sword, the other half were killed by knife. They aren’t gone Bentley, and I doubt they will just forget about us.”

“What are you saying? That those wolves are going to be coming after us now?”

“Most likely. I remember when he first spied on them and later when we were escaping that they are looking for something or someone specific. They kept talking about The Lone Wolf, I think it is someone they are trying to find.”

“Hmm, well nothing came up about a Lone Wolf while I was searching around. I will keep looking and try to find anything I can, but what are we supposed to do now? We can’t just stay cooped up in the safehouse forever.”

“No, we can’t and we aren’t going to. They were lucky to catch us off guard, but now we have the upper hand. We know who they are and we know they are after us. All we have to do is lay low for a bit until they either make a mistake, or we learn where they will be hiding next. You can get Interpol to help us right Carmelita?”

“Of course. When I go back in on Monday I will let the chief know what happened and that we need to be on high alert for these guys. If they are going after you, then that is cause enough for the chief to take it seriously.”

“What is that suppose to mean?” Bentley asked somewhat worried and annoyed.

“Believe it or not,” Carmelita explained “but chief Barkley is on your side, at least when it comes to Sly’s wellbeing. He knew Sly’s father, and he has approved of me and Sly’s…complicated relationship.”

Carmelita gave Sly and caring smile. Sly returned the same to as he grabbed her hand and held it. Bentley was very skeptical of course, but if what Carmelita said was true then the police would actually be able to help them this time. Reluctantly he sighed and nodded.

“I don’t know just how true that can be, but if you can get Interpol on the case then we should have a much better chance of getting these guys before they get us. I’m going to see what I can find and ask our online contacts if any of them have heard about this Wolf Pack. If you need me I will be down in the lab.”

Bentley gave Sly a smile and Carmelita a firm nod before making his way downstairs by use of his personal elevator. Sly and Carmelita were left alone for the next few hours and they spent their time watching TV. Despite everything that had happened, the two of them couldn’t be happier. They were together and safe, and even better was that Carmelita was in there safehouse, the place she had searched for years to find but could never locate. They sat cuddled up with one another on the couch and were finally enjoying their date night that they were supposed to have had the night before. Both of them had slept all day so neither were tired, and by the time 11pm rolled around they were both hungry for something to eat. Carmelita helped Sly to the kitchen as the two tried to decide what they wanted to eat. Settling on having a midnight breakfast, Sly showed Carmelita where to find the waffle mix while he went to work making the eggs. They learned that night just how much they had in common when it came to a breakfast meal. Both of them liked waffles with scrambled eyes and a side of bacon, and that is exactly what they ended up having. Carmelita made the waffles but added her own twist on things. The secret was to use milk instead of water to mix everything up. The result was super fluffy waffles that melted in one’s mouth. Making scrambled eggs was easy for Sly. He cracked a few in a bowl than took a whipper and whipped the eggs together until it was all mixed up. Before he poured them onto a pan on the stove, he added in a small teaspoon of milk to the mix. The resulting eggs were easier to chew and didn’t burn as easily. With there plates made, the two lovers made there may back to the couch and settled in. They watched one of the late-night comedy talk shows while they enjoyed their late-night meals. Things could not be more perfect for the two of them.

For years Carmelita had hunted Sly like he was prey, and now the two of them were eating breakfast at twelve o’clock in the morning. Life had a funny sense of irony, but neither of them could complain or deny their feelings for one another. They loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. They were young, and both had been through a lot in their short lives, but all of it had been worth it just for this one night. They might have been young, but they weren’t kids anymore. Sly wasn’t the same arrogant and rambunctious raccoon he had been just a few years ago. He was strong and brave, but also kind and caring. He cared deeply for his fiends and even more so for his love. Carmelita had also changed. Before she was an arrogant cop who only saw the world in black and white. Now, she saw how complex and scary the world really was. Good people did bad things for just reasons, and bad people did good things for selfish reasons. Things never were or could be as simple as good and bad, because good and bad were everyone’s own point of view. She took Sly for an example. In the eyes of society Sly was a master criminal who had broken over a dozen laws in over a dozen counties, but that didn’t mean that he was a bad person, or that what he did was necessarily wrong. He was a thief, yes, but he stole for just and noble reasons, and only from those who were themselves real criminals. Sly was a good person with good intentions who society deemed evil and undesirable. For years she wanted nothing more then to see him locked behind bars because that was what she was lead to believe was right. Now she knew that if anything Sly deserved to be seen as a hero and praised for his great deeds. She knew he was to humble for that, even if he didn’t act like it. He liked being see as the bad guy, the rouge racoon who lived by his own rules. In a cheesy eighties fashion he was like the bad boy at school that all the girls fell for, but the only one he cared about was the one girl who was to uptight for him. Carmelita could see it now. She would be smart and uptight senior girl who all the other senior girls thought was a total weirdo and shut in, and Sly would be the leather jacket wearing, motorcycle driving cool kid that all the girls loved but could never get him to pay attention to them. He would walk up to her while she was at her locker and try and flirt with her, but she would just hold her head high and walk away with her books to go to class. Later on she would see past his carefree and laid-back attitude and see the kind and gentle person that lay beneath. Carmelita shook the thought from her mind as it was to cringy to think about. Things like what they had just didn’t happen in real life, but somehow it happened for them. She was just glad they were together and she could finally be herself around Sly. She no longer had to hide her true self, and I felt like great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Two in the morning came by as the two-lay cuddled up with one another. Sly was laying as far back in the couch as he could as Carmelita was laying in front of him with her head sitting just under his chin. Sly had his arm wrapped around her from behind and held her in a warm embrace. She had fallen asleep during one of the shows they had been watching and silently dreamed away while being held by Sly. Sly smiled and kissed the top of her head, thinking about how cute she looked. Laying his head back, Sly closed his eyes and began to fall from consciousness. He could feel her heart beat as she lay next to him and feel her chest move as she breathed. It caused Sly to fall asleep much quicker then normal, much like how the sound of rain helps people fall asleep. The two of them lay still and peacefully as they slept, unaware that two familiar girls watched from far away.

* * *

 

“Finally, he fell asleep.”

Emily put down her binoculars and looked over at Luna. The two of them had been waiting for hours for Sly to fall asleep. They had showed up just as he had first woken up and had to wait until he went back to sleep before they could begin. Luna looked at Emily with a worried expression before speaking.

“Are we sure we want to do this? Think of how bad this could go if we mess up.”

“We don’t have a choice. This is the only way we are going to get into that vault, now are you ready or not?”

“I’m ready…just wait here until I get back, I won’t be more than ten minutes.”

Emily nodded and watched an Luna faded into shadows and vanished before her eyes. They had all had a long and heated conversation about whether or not this was a good idea. The truth was that it was a terrible idea and they hated themselves for having to do it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Once Luna had the plans, they could start construction, and hopefully within the next few months or so, they could finally retrieve what they needed to bring _him_ back.


	10. Past and Future

“Where are you?”

Luna spoke quietly as to not be heard. She stood over Sly and Carmelita with one hand placed on Sly’s head. Around her hand was a dark aura, a shadow magic that penetrated into Sly’s mind. She could see his memories and his dreams, but she was looking for something very specific. The dark witch concentrated as her magic continued, until at last she found what she had been searching for.

“There…wait…ah, he doesn’t know himself but…hmm, interesting, wha!”

Luna pulled her hand away from Sly and her eyes went wide. The image of what she had seen burned in her mind. She looked down at Sly, a mix of shock and fear covered her eyes.

“You poor soul…you poor, poor soul.”

She backed away from him slowly as if he were awake and ready to kill her. She took a moment to regain her composure before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She had what she came here for, but what she had learned frightened her more than anything. She wanted to end him there and prevent such a future from occurring, but it was not for her to decide Sly’s fate. With a final breath, she opened her eyes and looked down at Sly one more time before departing.

“May the darkness take you quickly, Sly Cooper, for you are to be its slave.”

With her final, eerie words, Luna departed into shadows and faded from existence. A few blocks away, the dark sorceress reappeared next to Emily.

“About time. Did you learn anything?”

“Yes…I know where the plans are but…Emily.”

“What?”

“…he’s the one.”

* * *

 

The next day went by very well for the Cooper gang. After waking up at around 11am, Carmelita helped Sly around as he gave her an official tour of the safehouse. They toured the secret basement, where they found Bentley and Penelope working on some crazy new invention. Penelope was a scarred at first when she saw Carmelita, but after they told her about what was going on, she quickly relaxed and was very polite with Carmelita. She was a smart and cute young mouse, and someone Carmelita believed she could get along with perfectly. After Bentley shooed the two of them away, Sly and Carmelita headed up to the third story; Sly’s palace as he called it. Carmelita just rolled her eyes as him but followed as he showed her around. She was genuinely surprised to see how modest his room was. She had expected to see piles of gold and stolen goods piled up in the corners, but instead she found a modestly sized room that held all the basic necessities. The only unique things were a special holder for his cane, and a bookshelf that held only about five books. His bed was also rather small, at least not big enough for two people to lay in comfortably. She helped him over to his bed and he sat down while taking a breather. He was still very sore, especially his ribs. He didn’t think any of them were broken, just bruised and tender. She stood in the middle of his room awkwardly for a moment before she heard him speak.

“So, what do you think?”

“To be honest, I didn’t think it would be this…bland. I expected to see a king size bed and a giant flat screen TV.”

“I don’t care much for TV, and why would I need a bed so big? It’s not like I sleep with other people.”

The two grew silent for a moment. It was weird and not needed, but what he had said kind of made them realize something. For Sly, he realized that now he wasn’t really alone anymore, love wise anyways. He didn’t need to sleep alone anymore, nor did he want to. For Carmelita, his words meant something else. For the longest time she always thought Sly was…well, a ladies man. He had been all over the world, and he must have met at least a couple thousand beautiful women. Carmelita always assumed Sly had slept with many other women before during his life, but the truth was he never had. Sly was a virgin, just like her though she didn’t know it. His words proved to her that she wasn’t just another woman to Sly, she was special. After another minute or two of silence Sly pushed himself up and walked toward the bookcase. Carmelita had offered to help but he just told her to go sit down and wait for him on the bed. Reluctantly, she walked over and plopped herself down on the bed. She waited, nervously rubbing her hands, until Sly came back and sat down next to her. In his hands he held a rather large book. The first thing Carmelita noticed was the large raccoon symbol on the front that Sly used as his calling cards. The second, and most important, were the two words printed in bold blue and gold letters on the front.

“THIEVIUS RACCOONUS”

Carmelita’s eyes went big. She had heard about this book but always thought it was more Cooper nonsense. Over the years she had gathered as much information about Sly as she could, and only a few times did she ever hear mention of book. She turned and looked at Sly with an unsure expression.

“Sly, is thi-?”

“This is the Thievius Raccoonus, the greatest heirloom of my family. In it contains all the techniques and abilities that my ancestors created and mastered. It is passed down to each Cooper who is then responsible for contributing something new to it.”

Sly opened up the book and turned to the first entry. _Slytunkhamen Cooper I_ were the first words that appeared at the top of the page. Under it was a very old drawing of Slytunkhamen holding his two small canes in hand. Even for a three-thousand-year-old drawing, it remained almost perfectly intact and showed great detail of the first legendary thief.

“Slytunkhamen Cooper the first, the creator of the Thievius Raccoonus. He lived roughly thirty-three hundred years ago in ancient Egypt. He was the first Cooper to record his adventures and techniques he learned before passed it down to his son. Since then each Cooper has filled its pages with their own adventures and abilities they created before handing it down to the next Cooper. This book it what made me the thief I am today.”

She turned and looked into Carmelita’s eyes. She could tell he was nervous, and she could guess why. This book held all his family’s knowledge and secrets, and now Sly was letting her look at it, despite the fact that she was a cop. It was like sharing your deepest darkest secrets with someone else and hoping they would not instantly grow to despise and hate you. She felt honored that Sly would show her this, but she didn’t even know why he was in the first place.

“Sly, why are you showing me this?”

“Well, you know…so you have evidence when you finally arrest me.”

Sly gave her a sheepish grin, but not a very convincing one. His ears flattened as she gave him a stern look before he spoke again.

“The truth is…I want you to understand what it means for me to be a Cooper. My family, we’re not just thieves, we do a lot more than that. Here look.”

He turned a few pages of the book and pointed to a paragraph. Carmelita ran over the words and read what was said. It was an entry by Slytunkhamen talking about how he exposed a corrupt pharaoh who had been stealing gold from past pharaohs’ tombs. It was said that Slytunkhamen battled over a dozen of the pharaohs royal guards at once and defeated them all without breaking a sweat, then he threw the pharaoh out of the palace where the citizens ended up burying him alive. After his burial the people wanted Slytunkhamen as their new pharaoh, but he vanished from the city along with the royal scarab jewel. He was hailed as a hero for a long time but then branded a traitor and a thief by the next Pharaoh that came. After Slytunkhamen fled the city he settled down and got a wife and had a child, Slytunkhamen the second. His son continued the family tradition and the Cooper’s continued on as they always had.

Sly flipped through the pages of the ancient book and showed Carmelita more of his ancestors and the adventures they had in life. Each one was unique and skilled differently, but they all grew to be master thieves, and each created their own special ability that would then be passed down. For many of these Coopers, thieving was not all they did. Many of Sly’s ancestors played important and unknown parts in many of histories grandest moments. Sir Galleth Cooper had once served under King Arthur and fought in many battles with the famous king, until he stole the royal crown and was forced to flee the kingdom. Otto Van Cooper had been a spy for the Allies during WWII and snuck in food and medical supplies to many war-torn villages that were within German controlled territory. These and many more were just a few acts that Sly’s ancestors had done. They weren’t just thieves, though that was the main family business and priority. They were soldiers, spies, diplomates, scientists, engineers, hell there was even a brief time where the Coopers were kings and queens. Many Coopers had contributed greatly to how history would later shape out. Without many of the acts and deeds done by the Cooper clan, much of the world as they knew it today would not be the same.

Carmelita began to realize why Sly was showing her all this. In the eyes of the law, and history, the Cooper family had been seen as nothing more but criminals and thieves, people who only care about themselves and their wealth. It was what Carmelita had believed for the longest time, but now she knew the truth of the Cooper clan and how important they really were. There was much more that Sly wanted to show her, just to try and sell his point even more, but Carmelita finally stopped him and made him listen to her.

“Sly enough, I get it and I understand.”

“I just…I want you to kn-”

“Shhh…it doesn’t matter Sly. I accept you for who you are and the family you come from. I don’t want you to change and give up everything your family has worked for and achieved.”

“But…us? I just…I don’t know how this is going to work. None of my ancestors have ever fallen in love with someone on the right side of the law…”

“Then I guess you will be the first Cooper to do so. Sly, I won’t ask you to change, and I doubt you want me to change either but…I have begun to realize that you do my job better than I do without even meaning to.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…you stop bad people from doing bad things, and you do it in a way that I never could or would be able to. You’re not confined by any rules or laws that tell you what can and can’t be done. When you see something wrong you fix it, even if how you do it seems like the wrong thing to do. I don’t know, I’m just…I’m tired of feeling like no matter how hard I try, things always get worse and there is nothing I can do to change that…maybe I need to reconsider my career in life.”

“Carmelita, you can’t really mean that?! Your family has been in Interpol for four generations, you can’t just leave and let crime grow. God knows no one else in your damn department does anything anyways.”

“But look at you Sly, look at everything you have done! You really think I could ever have beat Mugshot, or the Panda King, or even ClockWerk myself? The best Interpol could do was monitor them and wait until we actually had proof they were involved in any criminal activities. While we waited and watched for years, you just snuck your way in and took down each one by yourself. The only reason we could arrest them was because we charged most of them with attempted murder on you.”

Sly was shocked to be hearing this from Carmelita. He always assumed she valued her job above everything else, and now she was talking about just leaving it all behind. He knew he couldn’t let her make such a bold decision, it would ruin her reputation and the reputation of her family.

“I know I am a fourth-generation cop at Interpol; big whoop. I bust crack heads and pedophiles for a living, same as my father did and his father and his, but how does that compare to what you and your family has done? Your ancestors have altered the course of history! They have helped stop many world changing events, and they all did it because they knew it was right. How different do you think things would be right now had you not defeated ClockWerk, hmm?”

The question caught Sly off guard. He had never thought about how different things would be had he never gone after the fiendish five. He never would have grown to become the thief he was today, and the world would be all the lesser for it. The five would still be terrorizing people and using his family’s secrets to better their own wealth and power. Who knows, with enough time and planning, ClockWerk could have very easily taken over the entire world by now. No else knew how to stop him, only Sly knew or could, and even then, he was only able to with the help of his friends. If ClockWerk had an army behind him, he could have started with taking over Russia and moved on through  the rest of Asia and into Europe. The idea was frightening to Sly, but it made him realize just how much he had changed things. Carmelita was right, his ancestors had done many things that had changed the world, and perhaps he had done so as well. He usually ever saw his actions as having that much of an affect on others, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he had prevented. He was lost in his thought but brought back to reality as Carmelita spoke.

“I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my life, but I know that I want you to be a part of it. Maybe I need to stop acting like a fox…and start acting like a raccoon.”

Sly’s eyes went wide as he starred at her. She wasn’t honestly suggesting what he thought she was suggesting, was she? He didn’t get an answer as Carmelita leaned in and kissed him. He was still stunned by what she had said but quickly returned her kiss as the two embraced one another. After a long and heated minute, the two broke away with smiles on there face. Sly was about to speak but never got the chance.

“Don’t think about it to much right now ringtail. I’m still a cop, and until further notice, you’re still MY criminal, understood?”

“Yes, officer Fox.”

Carmelita leaned in and nuzzled herself into his neck and under his chin. The two of them had one of the strangest and most complicated relationships in the world, but love perceivers through any challenge if it is strong enough.

The rest of the day went by rather quickly. Sly spent a couple of hours stretching out his body and helping speed up his healing process. By the end of the day he was able to walk normally, though he still had a bit of a limp in his step. Later that night Murray baked home-make lasagna for everyone. They all ended up putting a cover over the pool table they had and used it as a large dining table. Bentley was still a bit nervous with Carmelita around, but as the night progressed they ended up having a very serious and enlightening conversation. Bentley gave Carmelita some tips on how she could better improve Interpol’s response time when a call came in about a crime being committed.  Carmelita was surprised at how knowledgeable Bentley was and made sure to write down his suggestions so she could present them to the chief in the morning. When everyone had finished their food, Murray brought out a special dessert. To Carmelita they were just a bunch of cookies, but to the rest of the gang they were much more. Murray had learned the recipe for the cookies the gang had stolen when they were all in the orphanage, and every once in a while, Murray liked to surprise the others with a small batch of the famous cookies. Carmelita had to admit they were pretty good as far as cookies went, but she only got to eat two before the rest were eaten up by the rest of the gang. Sly gave her a crumb-filled sheep smile when he realized they had eaten them all. Carmelita simply rolled her eyes before letting out a big yawn. It was getting late and she would need to be up early for work tomorrow. Sly led her upstairs and showed her to the guest bedroom they had. It was about the same size as Sly’s room with very little furniture, but the bed was cozy and soft just how she liked it. The two of them exchanged one final make-out session before Carmelita kicked Sly out and told him to go to bed. Sly just chuckled and went to his own room and laid down. Normally he was still very awake and active, but his damaged body coupled with the food he had just ate had made him very sleepy. He let out a small yawn before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. That night he had no dreams and no nightmares. He slept calm and peacefully, something that he had not had in a long time. Tomorrow would be a new day, but none of them could have been ready for what would happen.

* * *

 

Carmelita walked through the office with her head held high and a smile on her face. While the past few days had not gone exactly how she had wanted them to, she couldn’t complain about the outcome. Sure she had been kidnapped and almost killed, but that sort of thing was strangely normal for her, or at the very least it had happened enough times where she wasn’t fazed by it as much. She still held a huge grudge against the wolves, especially Octavia. Oh how Carmelita wanted to slam her foot into her perfect little face one more time. She would make sure to tell the chief everything that had happened that night, and she was sure he would put the entire department on the case. Carmelita hadn’t been awake the last half-hour or so during the wolf incident. The last thing she remembered was Sly helping her to a chair and after that she woke up in the gangs safehouse. She hadn’t even thought to ask Sly what happened afterword’s, but it was to late to ask now. She just needed to make sure the chief was made aware of the events that had transpired. She passed by a few of her fellow co-workers and saw them all glaring at her. It wasn’t anything new. All the women hated her and thought she was a total shut in, and all the men tried to hit on her. This time though the glares were different. It wasn’t just jealousy or childish envy, but she could tell people seemed to be really angry and tense when she walked by. She began to feel uncomfortable not knowing what the big deal was. She was about to arrive at her office before a large Rhino stepped in front of her and blocked her way. He starred down at her with narrow eyes and a piercing glare.

“I didn’t actually think you’d show up Ms. Fox.”

“Would you move Derrell, I have a lot of work to get done.”

“Oh I think you’ve done plenty of work already Fox.”

“The hell are you going on about Derrell?”

Carmelita noticed a bit of movement from behind her. She turned her gaze and saw the hallway behind her now blocked by two more of her coworkers; a Buffalo names Jim and a Cheetah names Kim. Now Carmelita was getting very worried, but also defensive as she was being cornered.

“We all had our doubts when you brought Cooper in and made him a cop, but we went along with it because the chief believed in you. Now Cooper is back out there thieving AND he knows everything about Interpol. Just how stupid are you!”

Derrell ended up shoving her back and stepping forwards. Now she had even less space and could really feel the tension rising. Carmelita was both scarred and furious. How dare any of these lazy assholes put their hands on her and yell at her.

“You know I bet you let him get away don’t you? You must love the thrill of the chase, or maybe you actually have feelings for that lowlife scumbag. I wonder what the chief would say when he heard you changed your name to Carmelita Cooper!”

Carmelita’s rage reached its tipping point as she jumped up and punched the rhino sure in his cheek. Carmelita was stronger than most people gave her credit for, and the blow ended up bring the rhino to his knees. She raised her fist again to strike another blow before hearing the chief scream.

“INSPECTOR FOX IN MY OFFICE NOW!”

The rhino looked up and spit out a bit of blood from his mouth. He gave her a hate filled glare and a wicked grin. Carmelita just gave out a lough huff of anger as she walked past him and towards the chief’s office. There was a sinking pit-like feeling in her chest. She just attacked one of her fellow coworkers, a cop no less. If she wasn’t in trouble before, she was now. The confidence she had when she first walked in the door had all but faded and had been replaced by a growing anxiety for what was about to happen. She reached chief Barkley’s office and knocked before entering.

“You wanted to see me chief?”

His office was, as always, filled with smoke from the cigars he consumed. Chief Barkley sat at his desk, and in front of him was a strange character Carmelita had never met before. He was a short, gold furred Jackal wearing a black officers dress uniform with matching hat. He wore many badges of military honor and prowess. Carmelita could tell he was no ordinary military officer, not even a European one at that. He was American given the eagle patches sown into his uniform.

“Please come sit.”

Carmelita closed the door behind her and sat next to the Jackal. He seemed somewhat young, maybe late twenties or early thirties. Older than her to be sure, but much younger than Barkley.

“Carmelita, this is general Mathew Jenkins.”

The Jackal reached out and shook Carmelita’s hand.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Ms. Fox. May I call you Carmelita?”

Mathew’s voice was very mild and calm. He spoke with a firm and clear voice, as was to be expected from someone with his ranking. Carmelita smiled and nodded to Mathew.

“Carmelita is fine…I don’t mean to be rude, but what exactly is going on here?”

Barkley was about to speak but was cut off by Mathew’s quick intervention.

“Allow me to explain Carmelita. I am the leader of PHOENIX, a secret ‘shadow organization’ if you will that operates outside of international rules and regulations You can think of it as Black-Ops but on a world-wide scale.”

Carmelita was shocked to say the least. He wasn’t serious, was he? She quickly looked to Barkley for some kind of clarification but got no response. She could tell he was on edge as well, even more so than she was. If what Mathew was saying was true…

“I am sure this comes as quite a shock to you Ms. Fox, and I should say now that so far as you or Mr. Barkley are concerned, this conversation has never happened and I never existed. Is that clear?”

Carmelita instantly narrowed her eyes but was calmed by Barkley who placed a hand on her arm. He gave her a look that told her she needed to comply, or else things could get very bad very quickly. Reluctantly, Carmelita nodded but kept her eyes fixed on the Jackal.

“Good, now that we have that out of the way, lets get down to why I am here. I believe you were unconscious Friday night when I arrived at the warehouse, but we had been watching you and Mr. Cooper for quite a while even before that. I must say you gave Octavia quite the reckoning, though to be fair you never did stand a chance of beating her.”

Carmelita just starred at Mathew with wide and suspicious eyes. How did he know about what happened at the warehouse, and what had she missed when she had passed out? Every nerve in her body told her to grab the gold-furred canine and demand he explain how he knew all this, but an icy feeling in her gut cemented her where she sat as she continued to listen.

“We’ve been watching them for quite some time. We tracked them all over the world. India, China, Madagascar, even the US and Canada. They have been quite elusive, even for PHOENIX, but once we learned they were all meeting up in Paris I knew it was our chance to strike and take them out for good. You and Mr. Cooper’s arrival however changed much, and as such they were able to get away once again. Your involvement cost us greatly Carmelita, and I am here collect settlement for the debt you put me in.”

Mathew starred at her with cold and emotionless eyes. She had never met someone as blunt and stern as he was, and she began to actually feel afraid of what was going to happen. She shifted her gaze to Barkley then back to Mathew before narrowing her eyes again and speaking.

“So you’re here to kill me, is that it? I messed up your little black-ops operation and now you’re here to tie up loose ends?”

“No Ms. Fox, I am not here to kill you. I fact, I am here to offer you a job.”

Both Carmelita and Barkley’s jaws dropped open slightly. Of all the things they had expected to happen, that was the most unexpected. Mathew noticed their shocked expressions and let out a small chuckle before turning to face Barkley.

“Not what you expected I’m sure, but rest assure that this is no trick.”

He turned back to Carmelita and gave a half grin.

“Interpol is an international organization that has some of the best officers in the world working to make the world a safer place. As such I make sure to keep tabs on all prestigious members and see if they have what it takes to work with PHOENIX, and you Carmelita are unlike any agent I have ever seen. Your criminal arrest record is nearly 100%, one of the highest I have ever seen in my life. You have arrested several notorious criminal bosses and saved thousands of lives because of it. I am offering you the chance to take your work to the next level. We need your help to track down and stop the Wolf Pack once and for all. They are more dangerous and powerful than you know, and if they succeed with whatever plot they have underway, they could end up killing thousands and plunging the world into another World War.”

Carmelita was left totally stunned to everything she had heard. This was all happening so fast she didn’t have time to comprehend it all. Were those wolves she had been kidnapped by really that dangerous and powerful, and if so then could they take over the world if they wanted? So many thoughts raced through her head and she didn’t know what to say, neither did Barkley. Mathew noticed this and cleared his throat before standing.

“I see you need some time to think this over. I will be back in two days and I expect an answer by then. I will remind you both again that this conversation never happened. I was never here and neither of you know me or the organization I work with. If either of you speak about anything that was said in the last ten minutes with anyone but yourselves you will be quickly and effectively disposed of. Good day Inspector.

With that the golden Jackal tipped his hat and walked out of the office. For a solid two minutes Carmelita and Barkley starred off into space trying to wrap their minds around what had just happened. Finally Carmelita turned her gaze and starred at Barkley who starred back. The two said nothing for what felt like ages until Barkley cleared his throat and spoke with a quiet and strained voice.

“So…I guess you’re getting a promotion.”


	11. Suits and Suspension

“You’re accepting and that’s final!”

“Chief you can’t be serious! There is no way I am leaving Interpol!”

Barkley leaned back and let out a sigh of frustration. For the last five minutes the two of them had done nothing but bicker and argue about what just happened. Carmelita was furious, and paranoid at the same time. First, her and Sly go and get themselves kidnapped and almost killed by a much of psychotic wolves. Second, she is being offered a job to work with some kind of shadow organization that apparently no one else in the world knows about, and now Barkley is basically suspending her and demanding she accept the offer.

“There is no way I am just going to go and work for some unknown, off-the-radar, and most likely highly illegal organization just because some ‘high and mighty’ wanna’be general says he needs my help tracking down a handful of terrorists. I can easily do that working here!”

“Carmelita you don’t get it! This isn’t about you or me, this goes higher than anything we could ever hope to understand. This organization, PHOENIX, has no ties or allegiances to any nation or government. They operate under their own terms and their own laws, and if they ask you for something you give it to them without question.”

“How do you know that? How do we know they aren’t a massive criminal organization bent on trying to take over the world?!”

“BECAUSE I SAID SO!”

Barkley’s quick change of tone forced Carmelita’s eyes to flatten and her fur stand on edge. Barkley had yelled at her many times in the past, but this time was different. It wasn’t just anger, it was more than that. A lot more. Carmelita stayed quiet as Barkley calmed himself down and walked over to the window. It was a cloudy morning, rain was in the forecast. He let out a deep sigh before speaking in a low voice.

“About twenty years ago, back when I worked as an Inspector, I had a partner named Tom. He was a young spotted Jaguar, good kid but arrogant and a know-it-all. We were investigating a gang murder down in southern France when we were approached by a black panther wearing a black military uniform. He told us that if we valued our careers and our lives we would drop the investigation and never speak about it again. Naturally we thought the guy knew about the murders and attempted to arrest him, but things went bad. Tom ended up getting killed, and I thought I was going to be next. Again the panther told me to drop the investigation, and I was so scarred that I just ran and drove back to the station. When I got there, I went straight to the chief, only to find a gold Jackal already speaking with him. When he left the chief sat me down and told me to forget everything I had seen and pretend like it had never happened. Obviously I was confused and scarred, but he told me that if I wanted to live I needed to stay quiet and forget everything. The next day, the story that was told was that Tom had been killed in a gang bust gone wrong. When I went to his funeral I saw both the panther and the Jackal there to. I was furious, my partners murderers were right in front of me and I could do nothing. After the funeral I was approached by them both, and they told me they were sorry for my partners death but that he had made his choice and died because of it. I threatened to have them both arrested, but I never stood a chance. They pulled out a live feed of a sniper who had my wife and kids in his scope. The jackal told me that if I wanted to go home and see my family alive, I would swear to them never to speak of what happened. That’s when I knew these guys were untouchable. I gave them my word of course, and since then I have never seen them again…until just twenty minutes ago when the same Jackal walked into my office.”

Chief Bentley turned and looked at Carmelita. She had a face filled with shock, anger, and defeat. She eased herself back down into her chair and began processing everything in her mind. Barkley sighed again and walked over and stood beside her. He reached a hand out and placed in on her shoulder. Carmelita looked up with droopy ears and looked at him.

“Carmelita, you are the best detective Interpol has ever had, and I will not see you killed because of it. You don’t have a choice in this. I’m not going to lose you the same way I lost Tom.”

Carmelita’s eyes dropped low and she starred at the floor. So much had happened to her in such a short time. Her entire life had been flipped up-side down, and for the first time in a long time she truly had no idea what to do.

“I don’t get it, why is it always me? Why am I the one who always has to do the dirty work?”

“Life rarely gives us a choice when it comes to these kinds of things. I don’t know why PHOENIX wants you, but think about what that means. If a top-secret organization can’t track down these criminals then what hope does Interpol have? We don’t have the time or man-power to dedicate to a case like this.”

“So you’re just going to suspend me indefinitely so I can go help some men-in-black guys track down a handful of suspected murdurers?”

“There’s more to it than that Carmelita, and I suspect a lot of it has to do with Cooper.”

Carmelita instantly turned as pale as a ghost. She had completely forgotten about Sly and the fact that he had no idea any of this just happened. Was he going to be involved in this to? Most likely, given that the wolves had been more interested in Sly than in her. She already knew Sly was going to be a part of this, but just how much was he involved. The last thing she could remember from the warehouse was the lead wolf Vrook asking Sly about his family’s vault. Was it all somehow connected?

“Sir, did the Jackal tell you about anything that happened at the warehouse?”

“He told me he saw you and Sly sneak in, then after about a half-hour Coopers friends crashed the place but were caught as well. The only thing he told me about you was that he saw Sly carrying you while you were unconscious. Other than that, he didn’t tell me anything.”

Carmelita took the next ten or so minutes to explain to Barkley everything that had happened. She told him about how she and Sly followed one of the wolves back to the warehouse and that they snuck in to try and ease-drop. After they were caught and tied up the two of them had been questioned and threated before Sly’s friends drove in through the wall to try and rescue them. After that plan failed and the lead wolf Vrook showed up, all Carmelita could remember was sitting down and listening to Sly and Vrook talk about Sly’s past and his family’s vault. As Carmelita finished her recounting of events, Chief Barkley walked over and began rummaging through a drawer in his desk.

“You said this Vrook character wanted to know about the Cooper vault, right?”

“Yes, but I didn’t hear what is was exactly they wanted from it. I’m sure Sly told them about what had happened to it…what are you looking for?”

“This!”

Barkley clutched the piece of paper and unfolded it. He began skimming through the words on it until he was sure this was what he was looking for.

“This is the last letter I received from Sly’s father before he was murdered. Here, read it.”

Carmelita reached out and took the paper from Barkley’s hand and began reading.

_To my friend James Barkley,_

_I am afraid this may be the last time you here from me my old friend. We have been through many great adventures and become the most unlikely of friends, but an old foe has resurfaced, and I must protect my family at all costs. I know I promised never to become a thief again, but there is one last thing I need to steal before my enemy gets to it first. I told you about my family’s secret vault on Kaine Island, and I intend to hide the Wolf Paw there once I have it. ClockWerk is coming for me, but it is not him that I fear. If the wolves ever return, you must do whatever you can to stop them from getting to the vault. If Sly survives, you must never let him learn about the vault, or else they will use him to find what I hid. I know you won’t understand any of this now, but I know the day will come when my words will make sense._

_Thank you for believing in me and seeing me for who I truly am. I wish you good health and a happy life. No Cooper could have asked for a better friend._

_Forever your friend,_

_Connor Cooper._

Carmelita had gotten teary eyed after reading the letter. She wished she could have met Connor, he seemed like a very noble man who cared deeply for others. Wiping away her tears, she then realized what the point of this letter was.

“So, Connor hid something in the Cooper vault before he died, something known as the Wolf Paw?”

“Yes. Before it was stolen, the Wolf Paw was a crystal medallion that had been found somewhere up in Norway. It was dated to have been made as early on as the 10th century, the early medieval age. It’s unknown how it was made since they didn’t have the tools or technology during that time to create things out of crystal, and so it was protected and put in a Norwegian national museum. It was stolen just two weeks before Connor’s death and has never been found since.”

Carmelita handed the letter back to Barkley and took a minute to collect her thoughts. She was a detective after all, and she was tying to piece everything together. What she could gather was that this group of wolves, the Wolf Pack, wanted to find a medallion known as the Wolf Paw. Connor Cooper had stolen the medallion and hid it away in the Cooper vault on Kaine Island, which now rested at the bottom of the ocean. Now that the vault and everything in it was lost forever, the Wolf Pack would never be able to get the medallion, meaning that their plans were ruined for good. It seemed so straight forward, but she had this nagging feeling that things weren’t going to be that simple. There was still the matter of the wolves themselves, and now a new force had come into the picture. PHOENIX had been tracking the wolves for years but had never been able to catch them. Now this secret organization wanted Carmelita to come and help them find the wolves, and if she refused then they would most likely kill her. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to find and arrest the Wolf Pack, especially since they had almost killed her and Sly, but she didn’t like the idea of working with some shadow, above-the-law type of organization. After hearing Barkley’s story however, she knew she didn’t have a choice in the matter, and if it meant stopping these criminals, then she would do what needed to be done. Carmelita let out a long and tired sigh as she rubbed the temples of her head. It was never a dull day working at Interpol, but this was a lot to take in.

“Alright fine…fine. If PHOENIX is as serious as you say, then I guess I don’t have much of a choice.”

“I know this is sudden and not what you want, but in times like these we don’t get to choose what we want and don’t want to do. When you became a member of Interpol you took an oath to uphold the law and bring bad people to justice. Obviously, life is a bit more complicated than that, but that doesn’t stop you from doing what is right.”

Carmelita looked up and starred at Barkley. He had been tough on her ever since she started working at Interpol, but now he was doing more than be tough, he was being supportive. Barkley was right. She wouldn’t be able to catch these criminals if she stayed with Interpol. As much as she hated it, she needed to work with PHOENIX if she was going to have any chance of success. That, and she would able be able to learn about this secret organization and find out their true intentions. Maybe in the end she would be able to stop more than one criminal organization, but for now she needed to work with the lesser of two evils. Carmelita took a deep breath before standing and looking down at Barkley.

“Thank you, sir, for everything. You’ve always pushed me to be my best, and now it seems I need to put those skills to the test. I’ll work with PHOENIX and track down the Wolf Pack. After that, I am going to do whatever I can to expose PHOENIX and make their presence known to the world…or die trying.”

Barkley gave a small chuckle before standing and pulling out a fresh cigar. He held it in his fingers but did not light it yet.

“You never did know when to quit. I am proud of you Carmelita, I only wish things didn’t have to be so dire. After this is all over, and assuming you are successful in exposing PHOENIX, I can think of no one better to be my successor. You are young, but your smart and brave. Interpol would do nothing but benefit from your leadership, and you could do things I never could.”

Barkley held out his hand and gave Carmelita a firm handshake.

“I’m sorry things have to be this way, but this goes above what we can control. I know that whatever happens, you’ll do what’s right, but please, don’t get yourself killed.”

Carmelita smiled a bit, but her ears still hung low. She reached up to unclip her badge from her choker but was stopped by Barkley’s hand being waved.

“Keep it. Just because you’re suspended doesn’t mean you’re not still an Interpol detective.”

Carmelita smiled and left he badge where it was. Here she was, Carmelita Montoya Fox, fourth generation Interpol member, now being forced to leave Interpol and go work for some very shady people. The past few days had been nothing but crazy, but this really got her down. She took in a deep breath as she collected herself and her thoughts.

“I guess this is goodbye, for now at least. If what you say about PHOENIX is true, then they won’t just kill me if I refuse. Thank you for everything sir…I hope I can make you proud.”

“You’ve already made me proud Carmelita. You’re the best inspector I have ever seen. I hope everything works out. I would hate to have to find a new replacement, too much paperwork.”

Barkley gave a wink to Carmelita who smiled back and nodded. Things just were not going her way today, but what else could she do but press on. She gave Barkley a final farewell before leaving his office and walking down the hall again. She passed by many of her coworkers. Many of them just glared at her, but she was to depressed and tired to care. She made her way to her car and drove back home leaving Interpol behind her.

The next forty-eight hours would be nothing but stressful. She needed to talk to Sly and let him know everything that was going on. She knew Sly was going to be involved, all of this centered around him and his family’s vault. In the past few days Carmelita had begun to discover just how important Sly’s family name was, and she wondered if that fame meant more then just a family of thieves. In the past when she had chased Sly, everything that had happened had been a result of him. The fiendish five were defeated because of him. The ClockWerk parts were found and destroyed, because of him. His family’s vault was discovered and now lost forever, because of him. It was like Sly created an adventure wherever he went. There could be a movie dedicated to each of his adventures, hell even a video game series. What kid wouldn’t want to play a video game where you controlled a thief who battled crime bosses and saved the world from certain doom. Sly was a very influential and vital character in every major operation and arrest she had performed while working at Interpol, and maybe that is what made him so attractive to her. He started the game, and she played along, though now things seemed to be changing. Someone else had started the game this time, and she and Sly were having to play along. Carmelita knew that things were going to be different this time, and she knew one thing was certain. Sly wasn’t beginning an adventure, he was a character in someone else’s.

**_(Like what I did in that last little part? I liked it ^^)_ ** ****

* * *

 

Sly stood on the edge of the rooftop and looked over the awakening city of Paris. It was still early but the sun began to rise and the shops began to open. He had never been much of a morning person, but today he felt energized and awake. He wasn’t wearing his normal thieving attire. Instead, Sly wore a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt with a grey coat. He also wore his red backpack, inside of which he had his torn-up suit that he had worn the night of the warehouse incident. He was going into town for two reasons; the first to get his suit patched up, and second to go shopping for Carmelita. The past few days had really given Sly time to think about how things had changed for him. He had lived a completely different life when he was faking his amnesia, and part of him liked some of the changes that had come with it. For instance, during his time as constable Cooper, Sly had to learn how to behave in a public setting. For most people on the planet that was no big deal, but for Sly it had been a real eye opener. He had always been used to sneaking around at night and not being in large crowds. The first time him and Carmelita went out into town Sly had almost had an anxiety attack. There were so many people around him and so many voices all at once it was like a sensory overload to him. It had been really bad and very embarrassing the first few times, he had even almost fainted one time in the middle of the town square. The feeling of being in a crowd and unable to just go where you wanted when you wanted really freaked Sly out, but over time he had learned to over come his fear and was able to go about his business with relative ease. Sly shook his head to clear his mind of past memories and swooped down and landed in an alleyway below. From there he made his way towards town.

Paris was a totally different place in the morning than at night. He was used to people getting ready for bed, not getting ready for work. Cars drove by on the street and men and woman were walking to work. Mondays were always the busiest in the mornings, but right now Sly was just taking his time and enjoying the city. Now that he and Carmelita were a thing again, this time without any fake amnesia, Sly wanted to get something nice for her. He had already given her the sapphire necklace a few nights ago, but now he wanted to get her something much more ‘Sly like’. Perhaps he would get her a new attachment for her shock pistol, or maybe he could find a big piece of cardboard and make her a giant version of his calling card. His mind ran through a number of ridiculous ideas for what he could get her until he stopped and realized his own thoughts. Sly chuckled to himself and shook his head.

“Maybe just flowers. I think she’ll like that.”

Sly made his way to the closest florist and was glad to see they were open. He went inside and a few moments later he exited holding a big bundle of red roses. Cheesy, but he knew she would like them. He debated on whether or not he should sneak into her office and give them to her now, but he ultimately decided to just wait until she was off work. Maybe he would go break in and leave them on her kitchen table before she got off of work. That’s when Sly realized something. Now that she knew where there safehouse was, would she go back there after work? Sly honestly wasn’t sure where she would go, so he took that as a sign to meet up with her once she was off of work and see where she was headed. That was still a good six hours away, and now he didn’t know what to do. He had only been out for a few hours, and it wasn’t even noon yet. For once, Sly had nothing to do and he had no idea what he could do. He stood outside the florists for a few minutes thinking before deciding on what to do. It was Monday morning in Paris, why not see what the rest of the town has to offer. Sly returned back inside and told the owner he would return later to get the flowers he had bought, then walked into town and began seeing what Paris had to offer today. He hadn’t noticed until now, but Paris had a lot of clothing stores. There were different stores that sold all kinds of different brands, and it seemed the closer you got to the middle of the city, the more high-end and expensive the stores became. He knew about one of the more famous ones, the Antoine et Lili. It had a reputation for selling very high-end suits and dressed at very reasonable and sometimes almost cheap prices. The owner, Madam Mazet, was a wonderful snow leopard woman who ran a successful daily business, and an even more successful nightly business. You see, Madam Mazet was, as she herself put it, ‘two sides of the same coin’. To the normal people of Paris she was just a fashion designer and business owner, but to her other ‘special’ clients she was much more than that. To put it simply, Madam Mazet was a criminal outfit master. She could make a suit that was completely bullet and fireproof, or a dress that could be used to camouflage anyone in any surrounding. She had worked on many famous criminals and villains, such as Octavio and even the Panda King. Her skills had not only made her famous but also very wealthy, but Sly knew she was anything but a bad person. She was kind and caring and knew right from wrong. That didn’t stop her from her illegal activities, but like Sly she wasn’t a true criminal, just another person trying to make their way through life.

Sly walked through the front door and heard the little chime that went off. One of the shop workers heard the chime and smiled at him as he entered. She was a small black puma with a very thick French accent.

“Welcome to de _Antoine et Lili._ May I help you find’z some’zing today?”

**(sorry for the Z’s, but they make it sound more French-ish)**

“I was hoping to speak to Madam Mazet about a ‘special’ order.”

“Ah I see. Please, come ‘zis way.”

The puma led Sly behind the register and down a small hallway. They came to a door at the end and the puma gave a small knock before entering. The room beyond was a decent size, round all around making the room one giant circle. Towards the back-center of the room was a large desk, and behind it sat Madam Mazet. She was a tall woman, yet beautiful and stunning in every way. She wore a white and gold silk kimono-type dress and her white hair was held up in a bun behind her head. She looked up from the papers on her desk and starred at the puma.

“Madam, ‘zis fine gentleman ‘vishes to speak to you about a ‘special’ order.”

Madam Mazet looked over and eyed Sly. He took her a moment to realize just who it was, but once she did a large smile made its way over her face.

“Ah, monsieur Cooper, it has been to long. Please come in.”

Madam Mazet’s accent wasn’t as strong as her employees was, but it was firm and commanding. Sly smiled and nodded before walking in and taking a seat. Madam Mazet dismissed the young puma before getting up and pouring herself a small glass of tea. She offered Sly a glass, but he respectfully declined. She took a seat back down at her desk and smiled at the young thief.

“So what do I owe the pleasure of your visit monsieur Cooper? Last I heard you had been working for Interpol. You’re not here to arrest me I hope.”

“I could never arrest someone as beautiful as you Madam Mazet. Besides, I don’t work with Interpol anymore…things didn’t really work out.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, but perhaps it was for the best. Police work doesn’t seem like you thing, at least not for a thief. So how may I be of service for you today?”

“I just need some repair done on one of my suits.”

Sly reached behind him and pulled his backpack in front of him. He unzipped it and pulled out the worn and torn outfit and laid it on her desk. The black suit looked at if it had been thrown into a blender. There were cuts and tears everywhere, and one of the sleeves was only held on by a handful of threads. Madam Mazet internally gasped in shock. Not only was such a perfect suit ruined, but it was that she had personally made.

“Le Gasp! What have you done to my beautiful creation?!”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I got into a bit of a fight a few days ago and I was wearing it. Do you think you can fix it?”

“Well surely I can fix it, but there is a matter of payment we must discuss first.”

“Of course, how much will it be?”

“Oh no, money is not the payment I seek. Come with me.”

Madam Mazet picked up the torn suit and walked out of her office and down the hall. Sly followed her into one of the backrooms where Madam Mazet had her sewing supplies. She gently placed the suit down on a table and began digging through her supplies.

“Monsieur Cooper, could you please reach over up and grab some thread from the top shelf?”

“Please, just call me Sly.”

Sly grabbed the thread she needed and handed it to Madam Mazet. She took the thread and a needle she had found and began her delicate work of sewing many of the tears in the suit back together. She was quick and effective, a true master of her craft.

“Now, Mons-I mean Sly, about my payment. I want to know two things. Why were you wearing this suit during a fight, and who was the one that did this damage to it?”

“Well Madam Mazet, it’s quite a complicated story.”

For the next hour or so Sly told Madam Mazet the story of what had happened at the warehouse. Madam Mazet was very happy for Sly when she learned he and Inspector Carmelita were able to work out some of there differences. As Sly told his story Madam Mazet worked silently as she patched up Sly’s suit. By the time Sly finished he was amazed to see that she was almost done, and that it looked perfectly intact like it had before.

“…and then we jumped in the van and drove away. I haven’t seen any of them since, but I’ll find them and take them out.”

“Hmm…I may be able to help you in that.”

Madam Mazet laid down her sewing needle and slumped back in her chair. It was tiring work, but she had been determined to heal her wounded creation. Sly instantly snapped her gaze at her and quickly questioned her.

“How?! What do you know that can help me?”

“You said your attackers were wolves yes? What did they look like?”

“Well…the leader wore a long suit-jacket that went down to his feet. The one that slashed up your suit wore a dark leather jacket and a flat-top cowboy hat. The other- “

“The hat. Were the sides curved up, and holes for his ears to stick through?”

“Yeah! How did you know?”

“Because I made that hat for him.”

Sly just starred at Madam Mazet, who gave him a teasing smile.

“Yes, I know these wolves, The Wolf Pack they call themselves. Quite a collection of characters. I’ve met a few of them over the years, the sword wielder mostly though. Clayton is such a charming man, but he’s firm and tough, in more ways than one.”

She gave a coy wink to Sly who just shuttered at the idea of what she might mean by that.

“Well he wasn’t very ‘charming’ when he was holding a sword to my throat. Do you know where they might be?”

“Yes and no. I do know that he and a few of the others that came in here talked about Norway a lot. I don’t know if they live there or not, but they seem to visit there frequently. I would start there if you mean to find them.”

“Norway…I’ve never been that far of north before. Thank you Madam Mazet, but why tell me all of this? What do you have to gain from it?”

“We are friends Monsieur Cooper, no? Friends help each other out. That, and I want you to give my regards to Mr. Clayton when you find him and beat his fluffy wolf ass into the grown for what he did to my beautiful suit. That reminds me, how does it look?”

Sly chuckled at Madam Mazet’s words. She was such a calm and caring person, but when it came to fashion she could be a real demon. She looked down and examined the suit. It looked like it was brand new. He couldn’t even tell that it had been ripped in the slightest. Madam Mazet really was a master of her craft.

“It looks perfect, thank you, and thank you again for the information. I will be sure to let him know how displeased you are with him, though I doubt you will be seeing him again after I throw him and the rest of those wolves in prison.”

“I’m sure they deserve it, but don’t we all in the end?”

The two criminals smiled at each other before Sly took his leave. He packed up his repaired suit in his backpack and made his way out of the store. It was nice to have seen Madam Mazet again, but he was also very glad he that she had been able to help him. He didn’t have a precise location, but he had his destination. He would need to let Bentley know about what he had learned so they could get ready for a trip up north. Sly had never been to Norway before but he had heard it was a beautiful country. If he was going to find these wolves he would need to start there. He looked around and saw it was just past one o’clock in the afternoon. Carmelita would still be at work for at least three more hours, after which he would meet up with her and present her with the flowers he had bought. Speaking of, Sly headed back to the florist and retrieved the flowers he had left there earlier. He had everything he needed to get done in town today, so he began walking back towards the safehouse. As he walked he was lost in his own thoughts, but something kept on bugging him. Ever since that night in the warehouse, Sly couldn’t get stop thinking about what had happened and what he learned. How did those wolves know about his family’s vault, and what did they want inside of it? The vault was a collection of his family’s greatest stolen treasures, so maybe they wanted to get something back that had been stolen by a past Cooper; his father maybe? He remembered the rage in Vrooks voice when he told him the vault was lost at the bottom of the sea. That kind of rage and anger was the kind Sly had rarely ever seen. Whatever they wanted, it must have been extremely important to them.

As Sly walked on and his thoughts flourished he began to have a strange feeling in his gut. He really didn’t notice it at first, but the more he walked the more it grew. Maybe it was his thieving instincts, or maybe just a pure instinctual gut feeling, but Sly felt someone, or something, watching him. He finally came to a stop and looked around. He was close to the safehouse, maybe another block or two. There weren’t many people around, the occasional car drove past but nothing more. He turned his head and looked down a dark alleyway to his left, and that’s when he saw him. Standing under a small light stood a short, gold furred man with long pointed ears. He wore a black military suit and hat, yet he seemed familiar. That’s when it hit Sly. He had seen this man before. That night in the warehouse, when the soldiers had busted in out of nowhere. The man had been there, Sly was sure of it. He should have been worried, but something told Sly that this man wasn’t against him, not yet at least. Taking one last glaze around, Sly made his way down the alleyway and towards the gold jackal. He walked with a tall and firm posture, trying to make himself look tough and capable, but his act didn’t fool the jackal. Sly stopped when he was standing a few feet from the man and spoke.

“Should I be glad or worried to see you here?”

“Both Mr. Cooper, but you have nothing to fear from me. I simple wish to talk, and you undoubtedly have questions you want answered.”

The Jackal spoke in a very neutral but inviting tone. Sly knew to be skeptical, but he had been in worse situations in the past. He crossed his arms and leaned up against the side on the brick wall next to him.

“Let’s start with the basic then. Who are you, and how did you know where to find me?”

“My name is General Mathew Jenkins, and I have eyes and ears all over the world. You have been on our watch for quite some time Mr. Cooper. I must say I am impressed with some of the feats you have accomplished in the past. You would give many of your ancestors a run for their money.”

Sly’s eyes narrowed, both at the mention of being watched and of ancestors.

“I think I would know if someone was watching me for the past five years, so just how do you know so much about me then?”

“There is much you do not know Mr. Cooper, and much more that you do not want to know. I work for an organization known as PHOENIX. We operate privately and outside of the influence or laws of any nation or government. You can think of us as the guys they call when Black-Ops isn’t good enough.”

“Right, and the moon is made of cheese. If you really work for some secret organization then why tell me? Not a very smart move on your part is it?”

The only response Sly got was a small smirk from the gold Jackal. For some reason, it made Sly’s spine go cold. He didn’t trust this Jackal, even more so now that it seemed he was telling the truth.

“‘Smart’ is a point of view Mr. Cooper. The truth can be more powerful than any lie said, and it can’t be denied. But if you want proof, here you go.”

The Jackal threw a small deceive towards Sly who then caught it. It was a small tablet with a screen on it. Sly’s eyes went wide when he saw the live feed that showed a sniper’s scope pointed directly and perfectly at Bentley’s head. Bentley was inside the safehouse working on his computer, completely unaware of anything going on around him. The sniper was positioned a quarter-mile away on a rooftop and awaiting the order to shoot. Sly’s shock was broke when he heard the General speak.

“I have no intention of killing you or your friends, but I have learned that people never believe something until they see it with there own eyes. May I have that back please?”

Sly looked at the Jackal, then back down at the screen. He let out a small growl of anger and defeat and tossed the device back.

“What do you want from me?”

“Your help, Mr. Cooper, in stopping one of the greatest criminal groups of all time. They wanted something from you Mr. Cooper, what was it?”

Sly looked at the Jackal. There was a shift in his voice, almost one of need or urgency. Sly then realized what he was asking and answered.

“They wanted access to the Cooper Vault. There was something inside they wanted but I never learned what it was. Now I want to know who they are and what is so important to them in my family’s vault.”

“They are the Wolf Pack, a team of highly trained and specialized wolves who have caused more havoc and chaos in this world then you know. They are looking for an item that will grant them power beyond comprehension, and they will use it to rule this world with an iron fist. I want to stop that from happening, but I need your help to stop them once and for all.”

“And I’m guessing my help is non-negotiable, right?”

“Everyone has a choice Mr. Cooper. You can choose to help, or you can choose not to help, but I promise you this. If they are not stopped, we will all suffer for it.”

Sly starred at Mathew for a moment. Sly was no stranger to dealing with villains and criminals, but things were different this time. This wasn’t ClockWerk, who only wanted to destroy the Cooper name, or Arpeggio, who only wanted to fly an Become immortal. This was bigger then any foe he had faced in the past, and yet he felt obligated to do what he could to help. Perhaps it was because he was determined to find out what the Wolf Pack wanted, or maybe because Sly felt it was the right thing to do. Whatever the real reason was, Sly knew they needed to be stopped. Crime was one thing, but world domination was especially heinous. After giving it another moments thought, Sly took a deep breath and nodded.

“Fine, I’ll help, but what makes me so special? If your group is so powerful and secretive as you say, then why haven’t you been able to catch these guys yet?”

“You are important because of the skills you possess and the knowledge you have, things that not even I know of or can do. You come from a long line of thieves Mr. Cooper, thieves that have changed the world. Connor would be proud of you.”

His last sentence made Sly’s heart skip a beat. He starred at Mathew, many conflicting emotions running through his mind. Before he could say anymore the Jackal continued.

“I have already spoken with Ms. Fox earlier today and ask she join us as well. After a very heated argument with her boss she has begrudgingly accepted my offer, though she does not know that I know yet. Take the next two days to prepare yourselves and let your friends know of your new mission. Meet me at the airport on Friday at 10am. I will explain more once we are out of the country. Don’t be late.”

Before Sly could protest, a great flash of blinding light enveloped his vision. After a few seconds it passed and Sly found he was now alone in the alley. He stood there for a few moments to process everything that had happened. Was all of it even real? He knew it was, and the fact that it was made his stomach turn. He didn’t like this, not at all, and he knew Bentley would hate it even more, but what choice did he have. Not only was he threatened if he didn’t accept, but he also knew this was the only way he was going to have any chance at finding the Wolf Pack and stopping them once and for all. Sly still was having trouble grasping it all, but he just had to accept things for now and work out the details later. He would get to the bottom of this, but he needed to be careful about it and take his time. For now, he needed to get back to the safehouse and let everyone know about there new change of plans. He knew Bentley was going to have a heart attack about the whole thing, but he valued his friends more then anything. Sometimes you have to do things you hate to keep those you care about safe. Sly took a deep breath and headed home, dreading the conversation that he was about to have with everyone.

* * *

 

“Have they accepted?”

“Yes sir, they have. Both Mr. Cooper and Ms. Fox have agreed to help us. I had to threaten Cooper to make him see reason, but he will do as I say for now.”

“You’ve done well Mathew, but there is going to be a change of plans. Fly Cooper and his gang to the base. I want to speak with him myself.”

“Are you sure that is wise sir?”

“Cooper needs to know who he is fighting against if he has any chance of defeating them. I will show him who they truly are. Only then will he fully trust us and aid us completely.”

“Very well sir. I will see you in five days when we arrive. Jenkins out.”

 


	12. New Roads

He was insane. Sly had totally lost his mind, or worse he was being mind controlled into doing this. Of course he wasn’t, and he was in fact fully aware of what he was doing and what could happen, and that’s what made Bentley so nervious. They were going to meet directly with a shadow government agent who knew everything about them and could at the snap of his fingers have them all arrested, or worse. Despite knowing all of this, Sly was firm in his choice and had dragged the rest of them into it. Carmelita was equally crazy for going along with this, though to be fair the last few weeks had been equally as crazy, what with Sly coming back and Carmelita accepting him for the thief he was. Bentley was happy for them, sure, but ever since Sly returned to his thieving ways things had taken a turn for the worse. It was always something, some new enemy or threat that they had to go off and defeat, so why was Bentley so worked up about it? They had done dangerous and stupid stuff countless times, and it always worked out in the end, so why was this time different? Maybe it was because it had been so long since they had gone on an adventure, or maybe it was because Carmelita was now helping them, or maybe it was the simple fact that they had a secret government watching them and holding a metaphorical gun to their heads and forcing them to do there bidding. Whatever the reason, things just weren’t right, but would Sly listen to him? Bentley gave out a sigh of defeat as they finished packing the van and went back to typing on his holographic computer while Murray drove the gang to the airport.

Sly’s thoughts jumped from one thing to another. He thought about that night at the warehouse, his conversation with the Jackal, but most of all his interaction with the wolves. There was something about them that kept itching in the back of his head, almost as if he should have already known them. Had he seen them before in the past or heard some mention of them during his many adventures through the years? Despite his best effort, the answers still eluded him. If he was certain of one thing though, it was that he needed to find them and know the truth. Why did they want into his family’s vault? What were they seeking that was so important? Did his father steal something from them, or was there some kind of hidden treasure they wanted? Whatever the case was, he knew whatever it was they wanted wasn’t good and it was up to him to put a stop to it.

His thoughts were interrupted when Murray parked the van and turned the engine off. They had made it to the airport, now they just needed to figure out where to go. They made sure to dress in very basic disguises as to not arouse suspicion and made there way into the airport. They had no idea where they were supposed to go or who they were supposed to meet, that was until an agent approached Sly. He was dressed in all black and wore sunglasses and a hat, a very men-in-black kind of look. With a neutral and almost robotic tone he asked them to follow him. Seeing no other choice Sly and the others did so, though their guard was up just in case anything were to go wrong. They were lead to a private hanger where a private _Cessna Citation X_ luxury jet awaited. It was solid black with tinted windows and bared no official markings or airline identification. For all intensive purposes it was a ghost plane. Many of these finer details were only noticeable to Bentley and Penelope, who both shared a concerned glaze at one another before boarding. The gang took a moment before boarding to change back into their normal attire, which made everything feel slightly better. The interior was what one might expect. It was fitted with comfy leather seats, small tables to hold drinks and food, and a certain golden Jackal waiting for them. He wore the same black suit he had always worn, though today his medals seemed particularly shinny.

“Thank you all for coming. Please sit, we will be airborne as soon as you get situated. Drinks anyone?”

Sly and Carmelita just stared at him. He was so calm and soft with his words, which only made them more uneasy about this whole thing. They knew who and what he was and what he could do to them. Forcing himself to not just run out now and never look back, Sly sat down and tried to relax.

“No thank you, I don’t drink much.”

“And you Ms. Fox? Care for a drink?”

“No.”

Carmelita’s tone was blunt and firm. She wanted nothing to do with this low life. She took a seat next to Sly and gave him a concerned glare before turning back to face Mathew. The jackal simple chuckled as he took a drink out of his glass, most likely filled with tequila. He set his glass down and turned his gaze to the other members of the Cooper gang.

“You must be Murray, the muscle of the group. I must say I am impressed. Not many can match someone of your size and strength easily.”

Murray, for the lovable goof that he was, was feeling very uncomfortable. Not just because the plane was small and cramped, but because he got a very bad feeling from the Jackal. Murray didn’t say anything in response, instead opting to sit in cramped silence and pray the Jackal stopped looking at him. Whether he knew he was scarring the hippo or not, Mathew then turned and gazed at Bentley and Penelope. They had been sitting in silence trying to seem as small and unnoticeable as possible, but once the Jackals eyes were on them their hearts skipped a beat.

“And you two must be Bentley and Penelope, the only smart ones in the gang. If you don’t mind me asking, are all of your gadgets your own making?”

Bentley wanted to crawl into his shell and never come out, but he held just enough courage to look back and answer Mathews question, albeit with a shaky and paranoid voice.

“Y-yeah…I make a lot of t-t-things in my spare time…”

“Incredible. Well you have certainly puzzled many of PHOENIX’s most prized scientists and engineers. I’m sure they will be eager to get your insight.”

“Woah slow down, where do you think you’re taking us?”

Mathew had been waiting for Sly to ask that question. As he turned to look at the raccoon the plane began takeoff, and before they knew it they were airborne. No escape now.

“Well Mr. Cooper, we are currently on our way to PHOENIX’s main headquarters in Antarctica. The director and founder of PHOENIX wishes to speak with you.”

“I thought you were the leader of PHOENIX.”

Mathew smiled as Carmelita’s statement and took another sip from his drink. After satisfying his thirst he set his glass down and cupped his hands together in his lap.

“I run the main operations of our organization, but I am just another soldier following orders. Director Snow created PHOENIX many years ago. Everyone answers to him, whether they know it or not.”

Sly, while still uneasy, became more interested now. So there was someone above Mathew, but who was this Snow person? Before he could continue his train of thought Mathew spoke again, his words gaining everyone’s attention.

“Since the tension is so thick it’s becoming hard to breath lets get some things clear. I am NOT here to hurt any of you, nor do I have any intention wanting to kill you. The truth of the matter is that I need your help and you need mine.”

Mathew’s voice was firm and neutral, yet his tone helped to alleviate many suspicions that were on everyone’s mind. Sly looked to his friends, then back at Mathew before speaking.

“If we are being honest, then tell me who they are. What do they want with my family’s vault?”

“I know who they are and what they are capable of, but Director Snow can tell you more then me. What I can tell you is that they are brilliant, ruthless, and they will not hesitate to kill anyone that stands in their way. They want only one thing: power. Power over others, over the world. They have been in hiding for years, but now that they are back together again they will stop at nothing to get what they want. That is why we need you help. You’re the key to stopping them once and for all.”

Sly sat back in his seat and crossed his arms, giving the Jackal a very unamused look.

“I’m not sure how much you’ve had to drink, but you’ve got the wrong racoon. I’m a thief, not a soldier. You’re talking to me like I’m some kind of Rambo or superhero, but I’m not.”

“You’re right, you’re not a superhero. You’re a Cooper and that’s what’s important.”

“And why is that? What makes me so special?”

Mathew rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated snort.

“Do you even know your family’s importance, what you Coopers have accomplished? Do you know how many of your ancestors have altered past events to make the world what it is today?”

Sly had no response to Mathews questions. He knew, from reading in the Thievius Raccoonus, many of the accomplishments and feats his ancestors had done. What silenced Sly was the fact that Mathew knew about them. This added to Sly’s interest and distrust of Mathew and PHOENIX. How much of his family did they know, and how much more did they know than he did?

“Your family has done extraordinary things. It is time you did the same. You’ve done a lot already, from beating ClockWerk and the Fiendish Five, to rediscovering your families lost vault. I imagine there was much inside that is now lost forever, but you can still contribute more than you have already. I’m here to help you unlock your full potential Sly…just as I helped your father unlock his.”

Sly’s eyes snapped to Mathew. Mathew, knowing he had peaked Sly’s interest, smiled as he took one last sip of his drink. He waited, letting the tension and anticipation grow before setting his glass down and speaking.

“But that story is for another time. We have arrived and will be landing shortly.”

Mathew smiled on as Sly’s eyes remained locked on him, while the others looked out the windows. The flight had barely been an hour, and yet below them they saw miles of the arctic shelf below them. Bentley was the first to speak up, confusion and excitement in his voice.

“But that’s impossible! There’s no way we could have flown from Paris to Antarctica in in fifty-eight minutes and forty-nine seconds!”

“PHOENIX has made many advancements in almost every field compared to the rest of the world, including air travel. I’m sure our engineers will gladly give you a tour of our facility once you have all been screened and verified by the Director.”

Bentley and Penelope were still in amazement, unsure of what to thing but eager to learn as much as they could. Carmelita was intrigued to, but her mind was focused on finding out as much as she could about PHOENIX. As a detective she was trained to watch her surroundings and document any and everything she could as evidence. She watched through the window as a layer of the ice shelf below began to shift and move. She and the others watched as two large hanger doors opened up to the sky and revealed a landing strip hidden beneath the surface of the ice. The plane began a slow decent down into the newfound landing strip, which lead deeper under the ice.

Once they were past the surface the doors above closed and the natural sunlight faded away. As the landing strip leveled out, the gang looked on in shock to see how vast the underground facility was. Theirs’ was not the only landing strip as they could see a handful of others lined on both sides of there runway. They could see other similar planes along with much larger military grade cargo and troop transport planes and helicopters. The “underground airport” was only half the cavern. The other half was dedicated to ground vehicles of all sorts, ranging from jeeps and humvees to straight up tanks and cargo trucks. The most shocking thing about the base however was the number of soldiers that could be seen. Several dozens, perhaps even a few hundred troops of varying species filled much of the base. Many were in tight formations being led by a commanding officer and were performing laps around the base. Others were inspecting supply crates and trucks, and many were standing guard or patrolling. Carmelita was in shock, more so what this meant rather than what was in front of her. She turned and glared furiously at Mathew and smiled at her in return.

“You’re not just some secret organization, you’re a full-blown army! How is any of this possible?!”

“There’s a lot you don’t know Ms. Fox. The world doesn’t work the way many believe it works. There’s a saying Director Snow has; ‘Everyone has a master’.”

Carmelita’s anger only grew from his comment, but she turned her gaze back outside. She began to study and memorize everything she could, anything of importance that she could use to expose PHOENIX. It wasn’t long before the plane finally shut down and Mathew stood from his seat.

“Well, we had best not keep the Director waiting.”

The golden-furred jackal gestured to the door on the side of the plane before walking towards it himself and exiting. Sly gave everyone a look, making sure they were ready. There was no going back now. With a deep breath Sly stood and followed Mathew out of the plane with his friends following behind.

They stepped out onto a small base connected to a row of steps leading down to the ground below. Mathew began his decent with his hands clasped behind him and his back and head held high. Sly followed him and looked around the massive hanger/warehouse. Many of the troops gave little attention to there arrival and continued on with there exercises. As the base of the steps stood a uniform-clad tiger. As Mathew approached he gave a firm salute to the jackal before handing him an unknown file. Sly watched from behind as Mathew flipped through the few paged that were within before giving a node to the tiger. The tiger saluted Mathew once again before turning and walking off towards another part of the massive facility. Sly took this opportunity to ask Mathew some questions.

“So just how big is this place?”

“Well the hanger is the largest section of the base and is about half-a-mile long and half-a-mile wide. As you can see we are very prepared should the opportunity arise.”

“Yeah to take over the world it looks…”

Sly gave Carmelita a gentle jab to the side and a concerning glare. Sly didn’t want to escalate things and his look told Carmelita as much. Rolling her eyes, she looked away and continued to scan the place around her and take mental notes of everything she saw. Sly returned to questioning Mathew.

“So, just what exactly is it that you do? PHOENIX I mean. What does it stand for?”

The group reached a large metal door that lead deeper into the facility. Mathew leaded forward towards an optical sensor that scanned his eye before beeping and turning green. The door then opened in a fast ‘wooshing’ motion upwards and allowed them to enter.

“What does a PHOENIX do Mr. Cooper? It lives life as it wishes and when its time comes it burns to ash, and from that ash it is reborn to soar again. It is a symbol of renewal, burning away the old and bringing life to the new. PHOENIX is about changing the world. We seek to change what many believe to be unchangeable; laws, governments, event whole countries if need be. We work from the shadows to change the world for the better…no matter how ‘wrong’ it may seem.”

Mathews answer was certainly not what Sly, or anyone in the gang expected. It seemed genuine, at least how he made it sound, though his remarks on there actions being ‘wrong’ were concerning. Anyone who claimed they wanted to make the world a better place but worked from the shadows clearly had ulterior motives. Whatever they might be, it wasn’t something Sly wanted to know about. He was already second guessing his decision to come here in the first place. The less he knew the better, as least for him.

The group made there way down a long, cold corridor. The base itself was made entirely out of steel and insulated to keep the facility from freezing. After a walk that seemed to drag on forever they made it to another large door that required an ocular scan from Mathew. As the door began t open Mathew turned to the others and gestured to the room inside.

“Welcome to the PHOENIX War Room.”

Inside was a large room that was something straight out of a SYFY movie. The room was filled with rows of desks and computer stations, all pointed to the far back wall which was the main focus. Covering the twenty-five-foot wall was a massive array of LCD panels. Some had walls of text, others had live satellite feeds of parts of the world. The center screen had a massive rotating display of the entire planet with certain countries and major cities pinned and being observed. The room was packed with dozens of military personal, many of them fast at work at there stations running the day-to-day operations that PHOENIX provided. The gang was in awe, Bentley most of all at seeing how advanced everything was. If he had even a fraction of the equipment in this room at his disposal, it would make all their heists and thefts thousands of times easier and more successful. Mathew allowed them to observe the room for a moment longer before becoming them to follow.

“There will be plenty of time for you to look around later. The Directors office is just over here.”

Not wanting to cause any trouble the gang silently followed without a word. Bentley continued to marvel at all the equipment while Carmelita took note of some of the things that were going on. She noticed many monitors displayed live feeds of several middle-eastern countries, and one that even looked to be a live feed of the Oval Office in the US. Just how wide spread were they, and who else knew of their existence?

Sly followed Mathew towards the far side of the room and down another small hallway. As they were walking, Sly happened to glance to his right and noticed a door that was open. For some reason he felt the need to inspect what was inside. Peering inside he saw it was a small room that was set up as a small training room, with three people currently occupying it. The first two were black-clad soldiers, one a rat and the other a zebra. Both were currently locked in a heated sparing match with a very distinctive and unique character. A tall, slender, female cougar currently had the zebra pinned to the ground with his face pushed into the floor while the rat was on the other end of the room recovering from a blow he had received to the chest. She wore a black military tracksuit and had short dark blond hair. She was clearly a fighter, a good one at that, and she was very intimidating given her size and body weight. She hadn’t noticed Sly at first, but while she was in the process of trying to make the zebra tap out she looked up and saw him starring at her. She starred back motionless, a neutral expression on her face and in her eyes as if she was studying him. He returned the stare, unsure what drove him to do so. There was something about her that he found intriguing, though what it was he had no idea. There gaze at one another was quickly interrupted as the cougar was struck in the face by a clenched fist from the now recovered rat. The blow had stunned her for a moment, enough to make her loose her grip on the zebra below which allowed him to wiggle free. The freedom was short lived as she dug her claws into his arm painfully, making his yelp in pain and tapping out in hopes of making her stop. She then grabbed the rat by the arm that he had used to strike her and in a quick swiping motion swung her leg up and brought it down on the rats’ arm, forcing it to bend in the wrong direction and effectively breaking his arm at the elbow. The rat yelled out in pain before he was thrown back into a wall where he slumped to the floor and held his broken arm while his body ached from the beating he had just received. The cougar stood and wiped the blood from her claws on the side of her outfit before speaking.

“Both of you get out. Roy, see that Johns arm get treated. I want him back in a week for more practice.”

The zebra, who was clutching his bleeding arm, nodded and helped the rat to his feet before exiting the room. Sly stood aside and let them pass before turning back to see the cougar, only to find she was now less than a foot away from him.

“What in gods name are you wearing? You look like a complete idiot in that getup.”

Sly was caught off guard by the remarks, and frankly he was offended as well. He narrowed his eyes and starred at the woman. Although she was slightly taller then him, Sly straightened his back and puffed his chest out to seem bigger. He was about to speak before he was cut off by Mathew.

“You really do know how to make a first impression Athena.”

“Mathew...finally decided to get off your ass and do some work for once?”

“Director Snow sent me to fetch Mr. Cooper and his friends to help us with our ‘problem’.”

The cougar, Athena, cocked an eyebrow and looked over Sly then his friends. Suffice to say she was not impressed.

“This is the ‘famous’ Sly Cooper? I expected a lot more.”

“And who the hell are you to say anything Ms. Pretentious?”

Athena glanced back and starred down Carmelita. The two women were locked eye-to-eye, Carmelita with eyes of anger and Athena with eyes of disgust.

“So you’re the failure of a cop who has never been able to catch Cooper. Here’s a bit of advice from someone who actually knows how to do their job. When you want to catch someone, try actually doing it rather then letting them get away so you two can continue your idiotic and childish fantasy.”

There was a lot of superiority behind Athena’s words, which only helped to infuriate Carmelita more. Her hands were clenched into fists and her teeth were clamped tightly on one another. She was just about ready to lung at Athena when everyone was quickly stopped in their tracks by a voice speaking through an intercom.

“ **Mathew and Athena report to my office now.** ”

The voice was deep and strong, and it carried a weight to it that everyone felt. Athena and Mathew starred at each other for a moment before both took deep breaths. Mathew was the first to break the silence.

“That would be the Director. Follow me, we have already kept him waiting to long.”

Mathew turned and began walking without another word. Athena pushed her way past Sly and the others, giving zero attention to Carmelita who was in a state of anger and uneasiness. Sly mentally let his worries subside before quickly following the two PHOENIX members, the rest of the gang following close behind. Whatever the others might be feeling, they placed all their trust in Sly, and if he continued on then so did they. The group walked in silence for several minutes before coming upon an out-of-place door. Unlike the cold metal around them, the door was a solid dark oak, and below it was a small rug that lead inside. Sly watched closely as Mathew took one last deep breath before knocking. They heard no reply, but the door made a quick locking sound and swung open slowly. Mathew looked behind and gave Sly a strange glance, almost one of worry, before entering and gesturing for the others to follow. Sly glanced to his friends who were all very nervous before heading in. He had come to far to back out now, but something about what was about to happen made him more uneasy then he had ever been in his life. He truly had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he was about to find out just how big the world really was, and how it all centered around one man.

* * *

 

“Emily, do you ready me?”

“Loud and clear Nathan. I’m passed the security wires and at the vault door. You got the codes ready?”

“Just place the coder on the doo and I’ll have it open in a sec’.”

Emily pulled out a small device from her pocket and suctioned it to the steel vault door. The top light began to flicker as Nathan worked his magic, and as promised it only took seconds before the door opened. Emily slinked her way in and looked down at what she was here to retrieve.

“Alright Nathan I got it.”

“Check to make sure there all there. Are there any pages missing?”

“Nope, all the blueprints are here in order just like Luna said.”

“Good. Bring them back home so I can start working on rebuilding him. We don’t have much time, and Vrook is adamant that we get this done.”

“Got it, I’ll take the quickest flight I can. Make sure you have my hot coco ready when I get back.”

“With seven mini marshmallows I know. Just don’t get caught on the way out. Russian security may be the worst in the world, but they sure do get angry once the alarms go off.”

Nathan spun around in his swivel chair and starred out into the large open workshop. He had almost everything he needed to start production, all he needed was the blueprints. Once Emily returned he could start production. It wouldn’t be long before PHOENIX was after them, but he was confident in his pre-planning that he and his pack would be safe. What Nathan didn’t know was that PHOENIX already knew of their location and was preparing a full on assault to take the Wolf Pack down for good.


	13. Home

The Directors office was very well furnished, yet modest in a strange way. Unlike the rest of the complex the floor was carpeted and soft. The walls were painted light grey but most of it was covered by various shelves or hanging ornaments and other objects. On one side of the room were several large pedestals that held glass boxes, inside of which were several unique items that were unfamiliar at first glance. On the other side of the room a row of bookcases stood tall and were filled from end-to-end, many of the book looking very old and unusual. In the center of the room hung a small lamp and fan combo that was spinning away, keeping the room cool and circulated. At the opposite side of the entrance sat a large oak desk. Behind it the wall had been replaced by a large one-way window that gave a view of the entire hanger bay below. The room itself was quite nice, but its intriguing appeal was dwarfed by the man who occupied it.

Standing with his back faced to the group, the tall ice furred wolf stood motionless as he peered down onto his troops. He often would watch as his men trained, day after day after day, becoming stronger, smarter, better. He stood a generous six-feet nine-inches tall, about as tall as the other wolves Sly had met. He wore a dark suit and pants, very formal but nothing military like. His hands stayed clasped behind his back and his ears pointed straight up, only twitching whenever a new sound reached his ears. Even turned away he gave off a presence that would make eve the strongest of men lower their ears in fright. To say Sly had not been expecting this would be a very big understatement. This man was one of them, one of the…unnatural ones. Sly had meet plenty of wolves in the past; red wolves, timber wolves, etc. While wolves were known to be a bit imposing, they all fit in with the rest of the world. These wolves however, the Wolf Pack, and now this Director, were different in many unsettling ways. They were taller to be sure, taller then many other mammals in the world, but that wasn’t all. They each had something to them, something about how they walked, or talked, or even just the vibe they gave off when Sly was near one. They weren’t normal, to put it lightly, and were almost even alien compared to everyone else Sly had ever met. He didn’t like it, nor did any of his friends, even more so now that one of them was right in front of them. What had felt like hours had only been seconds before the Director spoke. His voice was low and soft, but held a power behind it that was akin to the Wolf Pack leader Vrook. Unlike Vrook however, there was a certainty behind his words, as if he had rehearsed everything he was going to say before he said it.

“Four hundred and seventy-two. That’s how many people work for PHOENIX. That’s how many are working every day to change this world for the better.”

With a swift motion the white wolf turned to them. His black suit hung open down the center like a coat, underneath it he wore a dark grey shirt. His ice fur was a perfect length, not to short but not too long and mangey. His eyes were a crystal ocean blue, perfect in shape and hue as he gazed down the group, inspecting and getting a feel for his new guests. His inspection lasted only seconds before he drew his gaze and starred Sly in the eyes. The wolfs blue stare pierced into Sly’s soul. If he was in a joking mood Sly would say he felt violated, but tension and fear kept any part of his usual self-locked deep away. Sly had nothing to say, something that put an almost non-noticeable smirk on the wolfs face.

“Come, sit.”

It was not a question or a request, but a demand given. There were two chairs that sat before the Directors desk, and without realizing it Sly made his way over and sat silent and still. The wolfs gaze then turned to Carmelita. She was motionless, trying to let everything sink it, but once he was looking at her, her heart skipped a beat. He gave the slightest twitch of his brow, as if waiting impatiently for her to sit as well. As with Sly, Carmelita did not even realize it until it was over that she had taken the next empty seat next to Sly and was waiting silently for something to happen.

Content with there action, the Director shifted his eyes and looked at Mathew. His look spoke for him as Mathew quickly walked to the other end of the room and began moving two more chairs, one for Murray and the other for Penelope. The whole world waited as Mathew fixed the chairs where he wanted them before gesturing for the others to take a seat. Bentley took notice of the placement of seats and positioned himself accordingly. The others took their seats in silence and held their breaths, waiting to see what would happen next. Satisfied with how things were, the Director pulled out his own chair and took a seat behind his desk. His movements were methodical and perfect, adding to his already terrifying presence.

“So…Sly Cooper, the world-famous thief. Never in your life did you think you would be in a situation like this. How do you feel?”

Sly was silent as he tried to comprehend what that question meant. He was feeling a lot of things, fear being surprisingly low on the list. No, he wasn’t afraid, far from it. Anger was to strong of a word, he wasn’t angry about his current situation. He was curious to be sure, but that alone didn’t gasp how he truly felt. For lack of any better term, Sly was, at his core, extremely frustrated. Ever since that night in the warehouse everything has gone downhill. First, he got himself and Carmelita kidnapped, then he had almost gotten them killed the same night, then he was approached by PHOENIX and ordered to do whatever they say, and now he was being asked how he felt?! Sly was normally a very easy-going guy, whatever life threw him he just kept moving forward, but now he was done. He didn’t care who or what PHOENIX was or what they could do to him, he wanted answers and he was going to get them.

“You want to know how I feel? Let me explain this to you. For the past week and a half, I have either been attacked, threatened, held at gun point, or forced against my will. I’ve not had a single day to try and process everything that has happened, and now I’m here, in the middle of an underground arctic military base being asked how I feel by an unnatural looking wolf who looks exactly like the past eight other unnatural looking wolves that have tried to kill me, so excuse me if I don’t say I am feeling just peachy and fine!”

Everyone, aside from the Director, was completely caught off guard by Sly’s outburst. Bentley and Murray most of all, since in all the years they had known Sly they had never seen him act the way he just did. Even Mathew and Athena were shocked, more so because they were dreading what they believed was going to happen next. Sly just glared at the Director as he breathed heavily through his nose. The Director, surprising both of his employees, gave a soft smile and a slight nod of his head.

“I understand your frustration more than you know Mr. Cooper, and I apologize for the ordeals you have had to go through these past few days.”

Sly’s breathing slowed until he had calmed down. Like everyone else he hadn’t expected that kind of response, but he was glad he got it.

“Well, thanks, bu-”

“I’m sure you have many questions for me Mr. Cooper, but I have some for you that I would like answered first.”

His voice, while still deep and firm, was actually more relaxed and open then before. Sly felt almost comfortable talking to him now…almost.

“First, I would like you to talk me through the events of the night you and Ms. Fox first encountered the Wolf Pack. Spare no details please, I want to know everything.”

Sly turned his head and looked at Carmelita. Despite everything that was happening, he felt somewhat depressed that he had forced her into all of this. Truth be told this was all his fault, he wanted to go out on there date night and stalk some random person, which all ended up landing them here. He gave her a look of remorse, on that she hadn’t seen before but knew it right away. He then turned his head back and looked down, took a deep breath in, and looked back at the Director.

“It started when I went to go see Carmelita…”

* * *

 

Vrook gazed out onto the vast snow-covered plains. Much of Northern Russia was uninhabited, and some of it unexplored. It was a perfect place for Nathan to build a secret lab, and Vrook had to admit he was impressed at what he had accomplished; not only Nathan but the others as well. Clayton had honed many of his skills, despite his impairment. Talion and Luna had discovered new forms of magic, even being able to transform elements into others. Vince, after lifetimes of regret, started to forgive himself, though that didn’t help to slow down his drinking. Emily was as carefree and happy as ever, though he could tell there was a more serious side to her when she wanted to show it. Octavia, beautiful as ever, seemed to have settled down more. Before she was very flirtatious and outgoing, but now she seemed to want to stay close to the others, especially Clayton. Vrook smiled to himself; the two of them had a very “interesting” history and dynamic between them, but deep down he knew they loved one another. For some love it instant, for others, it would seem, it takes centuries, and even then they tip-toe around each other. Some things never change…and some things can’t be undone.

Vrook sighed and turned away from the window and began walking towards Nathans workshop. Now was not the time to wallow in guilt, he had done enough of that for one lifetime. Now was the time to act, to put the past behind them and work towards the future. Once, they who called themselves The Wolf Pack were powerful and feared, able to cause help or harm whenever and to whomever they chose. Soldiers fell before there might, kings bowed when they entered the room. Once they were gods, and they would be again soon. Those who had hurt them would suffer, and the world would once again know who they were.

Vrook stopped in his tracks and starred blankly ahead. He took a moment to process his thoughts, looking for a reason why he had thought what he did. He knew the exact reason, he knew it before he even thought about it. He remembered that day, the day their lives changed forever…the day they failed him. The look in his eyes, they were as clear as day in Vrooks mind, starring into him. The look of sadness, regret…sorrow. It was a look that haunted them all, Vrook most of all because of what he had done, what he drove them to do. It was his fault, all of it was…and it was his job to make it right. Vrook steadied himself a moment, taking a deep breath before reaching the workshop door. It opened for him as he appeared, and as he walked in he glanced at the rest of his pack. They had all be waiting for him, they could feel what he felt and felt it to. Vrook looked at them, his brothers and sisters, with saddened yet determined eyes. He knew, they knew, what needed to be done. No cost was to great, so sacrifice to much. They knew of the hardships to come, the lives they would take and the carnage that would ensue. It didn’t matter to them. The lives of others meant nothing to them, the struggled and trials others would undertake to stop them meant nothing. There goal was set, and he would lead them to it, one way or another. Without another thought, another word, another second, The Wolf Pack let out a howl unlike any other. Those that heard it could feel its pain and sorrow, but also its conviction and determination. It was the howl of defiance, one that Vrook knew there brother would hear.

* * *

 

The Director listened attentively as Sly finished his story. His gaze had stayed fixed on the young racoon, shifting to look at one of the other gang members only when Sly mentioned them in his story. As Sly neared the end of his story, the Directors ear twitched, if only slightly.

“…after that Murray drove away and we went back to our safehouse. Then I was approached by Mathew and now here we are.”

The Director, lost in thought for a moment, blinked for the first time in what seemed like forever and leaned back in his chair. He expected some of this, but were they truly so bold to go through with it? Everyone waited while the Director sat in silence thinking. Only after a tense minute had past did he let out a slow deep breath and spoke.

“This is very disturbing news. For them to want into your family vault…I can only imagine what it is they are looking for.”

The Director looked up and starred at Mathew and Athena, a seriousness in his eyes the two were all too familiar with.

“We’ve been waiting for this day. Mathew, I want you to begin protocol ZWOLF. Have all other projects stopped and direct all staff to begin preparations.”

Mathew stood tall and saluted.

“Yes, Director Snow. I’ll begin immediately.”

With that, Mathew turned and walked out of the office in a hurry. There was a lot to get done and in a very short amount of time. The Director then turned and looked at Athena.

“Athena, have alpha-through-xenon prepped with ordinance FIREDAKE and spread out through each major country. Get your team ready for operation TAKEDOWN. I want you ready to go within a weeks’ time.”

Athena’s face brightened with excitement and determination. She had been waiting for this day for a long time.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’ll get everyone ready sir.”

She to was about to leave but stopped when she heard Sly quickly interject.

“Hey whoa hold on time out! Look I don’t know what going on but I want answers. For starters what’s going to happen to us?”

The Director looked at Sly, debating his options, then back to Athena.

“Take them to A lobby and get them settled in…”

The Director looked back at Sly and gave a stern yet understanding look.

“This involves all of you now. Get some rest. Athena will explain the rules you will follow while you are here. I will meet with you tomorrow and answer any questions you have.”

His final words left no room for argument or rebuttal. Seeing no other option open to him, Sly just let out a tired sigh and stood. Carmelita and the others followed, all of them understanding the mess they were in. This wasn’t a fight they were going to win; best to just follow along for now and hope they don’t get killed within the next five minutes. Sly turned and looked to Athena who, with an annoyed glance, gestured him and the others leave. Sly cracked her a slight smile but it quickly faded when she just glared at him, and he and the others departed the Directors office. Before she left Athena looked back to the Director. He had stood up and was looking out the window. His ear twitched again, and Athena witnessed a fang appear as the Director got more and more angry. She quickly left, knowing that she was already in trouble for staying to long.

* * *

 

The ‘apartment complex’ as it could roughly be called was quite spacious and offered a decent amount in terms of usability. There were five rooms, one for each of them, spread out down a short hallway. Past the hallway was large open room that involved a small kitchen on one side, a lounge with T.V. on another, a door to a restroom on the third, and a screen door that lead out to a balcony on the fourth. The balcony overlooked a small part of the base, below was a set of barracks that a handful of soldiers called home. Despite being under the arctic ice the outside base was not as cold as originally thought. Sure it was still cold, but not enough to make you freeze to death within seconds. How this was achieved without the ice melting was a mystery, but really, who cares. Athena lead them to there ‘dorms’ and laid down the ground rules.

“This lobby will serve as your home while you are here. Two guards will stand guard outside the main doors during your stay. If you need anything, ask them. The hallways, or any part of the base for that matter, is off limits unless you’re escorted by one of the guards. If you attempted to wander off or sneak away no one will hesitate to shoot you. Is that all clear?”

Sly gave the cougar an unamused look. If there was one thing he hated it was being trapped in a room and told he couldn’t leave.

“So what, we just sit around and wait for your boss to decide what he wants to do with us?”

“Your interactions with the Wolf Pack have made you and your friends a vital asset. You’re going to help us, but we have our own planning to do first. If the Director wanted you you already would be, so sit tight, shut up, and be glad we aren’t wiping your memories.”

“Oh wow, thanks for that. Tell your boss he’d better start explaining what’s going on, or else things are going to get ugly.”

Sly, who thought himself somewhat intimidating, didn’t faze the cougar in the slightest. In fact, all he achieved was making her roll her eyes and walk away.

“*sigh* Coopers are always such children.”

With that she walked out and the door ‘whooshed’ shut behind her. There Sly and his friends stood; alone in the middle of an underground base, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Everyone let out a breath of relief then stared at Sly. Bentley was the first to speak up.

“Well I said it and I was right. This is by far the WORST idea you have ever had Sly!”

Penelope nudged Bentley in the side and gave him an angry glare. Sly, being exhausted with all of todays events, rolled his eyes and let his shoulders sag.

“Thank you, Bentley, for pointing that out again.”

Carmelita stepped closer to him a laid a hand of his shoulder, but Sly just pushed it off and let out a frustrated sigh.

“I never should have made you guys go along with this, this was a stupid idea and we’re probably going to get killed for it. Sorry I ruined everyone’s lives!”

Carmelita went to speak but Sly just walked away into one of the bedrooms and slammed the door behind him. There was an awkward silence as everyone processed what happened. Bentley felt really bad about what he said, but no one blamed him. Carmelita finally spoke to break the tension.

“Sly just needs time to process everything, so do we. I suggest everyone get some rest but stay alert. I’ll go…talk to Sly.”

Everyone nodded and watched her enter Sly’s room. Bentley sat sulking in his chair until Murray spoke up.

“So, uh, you guys hungry? Cause I’m starving!”

Penelope smiled and nodded towards the kitchen.

“Come on big guy, lets find you something to eat.”

Murray smiled and licked his lips in anticipation. Penelope gave Bentley one last knowing look before walking with Murray. Bentley sunk down more into his shell and sat for a second before his stomach started to growl.

“Hey, wait up, I’m hungry to.”

* * *

 

Carmelita opened the door slowly and peered inside. The room was very plain. A single bed with a nightstand and a dressed on the other side for spare clothes. Sly was slumped face-first on the bed. His cane had been thrown to the floor by the bed and his arms hung limp over the edges.

“Leave me alone.” He said with his face buried in his pillow.

“You know, in all the time I’ve known you I’ve never seen you sulk like this before.”

“You learn something new every day, woo-frick’n-hoo.”

Carmelita narrowed her eyes and walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at him.

“Sly get up, this isn’t you.”

Sly rolled over so his face wasn’t buried anymore and looked up at her.

“Carmelita you don’t get it. This isn’t just another mission or theft. We are in serious danger, and I forced all of you into it!”

Carmelita sat down next to him. She could see now why he was upset, it was something she had seen in rookie officers when things went bad on the job. She placed her hand down on his arm and looked at him. He didn’t pull away with time and just looked back at her.

“Sly, what you’re feeling is guilt. You feel that everything that has happened is your fault. Maybe the beginning of it was your fault, but you can’t blame yourself for where we are now.”

“If we had just stayed at your apartment that night none of this would have happened!”

“Yeah, you’re right, but we didn’t and we’re here now, that’s what matters. You’ve done a lot more dangerous and stupid things in the past, how is this any different?”

Sly laid silent for a moment. She was right, as usual. Sly had been in many harrowing and dangerous situations in the past, and things always worked out in the end, so why was now different? Maybe it was because this wasn’t something he wanted; unlike his past adventures there wasn’t some goal he was after. This wasn’t his story, there wasn’t a reason for him being here, yet here he was. Carmelita could see the conflict in his eyes and she squeezed his arm to get his attention.

“Hey, just accept it. We are where we are, and this is happening. I don’t like it anymore then you do, but maybe this is an opportunity to do some good. You’re always talking about doing the right thing even when the law says otherwise, so let’s do what’s right and find out the truth. This whole ‘PHOENIX’ group isn’t right. Anyone who says they want to help the world but stays hidden from it is up to no good.”

Carmelita gave Sly a determined and uplifting look. He smiled, both because he agreed with her but also because she really did accept him for who he was. For so long the two could never see eye-to-eye, but now things were different. Sly pulled himself up and sat next to her on the bed. He reached down and took her hand in his and held it firmly while he looked into her eyes. Carmelita began to blush and looked down, but quickly returned her gaze to him as the two locked onto one another.

“You know, I’ve said it before, but you’re beautiful Carmelita.”

Her blush only grew and for a moment she had melted from his gaze. It didn’t last long however as she narrowed her eyes and smiled seductively at him.

“Yeah, and don’t you forget it Ringtail.”

Sly’s smile only grew at her response. For another moment the two of them just stared into each other’s eyes. Time seemed to stop during these moments of pure love. It was perfect, so perfect in fact that Sly didn’t realize it until he heard the CLICK. He looked down and saw one end of a pair of handcuffs locked around his wrist. The other end had been locked around a post that was part of the bedframe. It took Sly a moment to realize it before his eyes widened and he looked at Carmelita confused.

“Hey! What gives?!”

Sly began pulling but the cuffs were firm. Carmelita just smiled and grabbed his free hand, holding it steady and forcing him to look at her.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned Ringtail, it’s that you always, ALWAYS sneak off when you shouldn’t. Well this time you’re going to stay put while I go do some…reconnaissance.”

“Wait what? Carmelita what are yo-”

“Shhhh, just trust me.”

She placed a finger to his lips to quiet him. He stayed silent and looked at her, very confused as to what was happening. Sly hadn’t PLANNED on sneaking out tonight but it had crossed his mind. Obviously, Carmelita knew him well enough, but since when was she the sneaky type?

“You stay here and sleep for once AT NIGHT. I’m going to go dig up whatever I can about PHOENIX and their true intentions.”

“Carmelita that’s extremely dangerous, and, not to be rude but, you’re not really a stealthy person.”

“Yeah well there a lot you don’t know about me. Besides, I can blend in better then you. Now stay put…please, for me.”

There was a real plea in her voice. Sly understood her worry, and reluctantly nodded.

“Fine. Just…be careful.”

“I will be.”

She gave him a playful wink and turned to exit.

“Hey, you going to take this off?”

“No because I know better. Maybe if you’re good I’ll let you out when I get back.”

Sly couldn’t help but let a sly grin creep on his face at her response. It only grew more as he watched her walk out. She made sure to swish her tail seductively towards him before closing the door behind him. He sat there for a moment lovestruck.

“What a woman!”

He sat for another few seconds before accepting what just happened. He knew that she knew what she was doing was dangerous, however her words before applied. They had done stuff like this in the past all the time, and as much as he hated her going, he trusted her completely. Sly looked down at his cuffed hand, the sight brought back memories of the past, specifically their helicopter ride through Paris after the defeat of Clock-La. Sly knew he could get out easily; in fact he always carried a spare lock pick hidden in his hat. He was sure Carmelita expected him to break free, but he decided to do the unexpected; stay put. He laid down and rolled over to get comfortable. He was tired, more from stress then anything. He closed his eyes to rest, only to be fully asleep moments later.

* * *

 

Carmelita slunk her way through between the rows of tanks. She had crawled out from the balcony in their ‘apartment’ and made her way down to the outside hanger floor. She looked around making sure there was no one walking past before she moved on. There was still a handful of guards left patrolling the hanger at night and she took the opportunity to observe them. There were varying species. Some were smaller rodents, others were tall African natives. One cheetah in particular looked very aggressive, certainly not someone Carmelita would want to fight. The one thing they all shared in common were the outfits. They wore dark grey pants and black boots. There torsos were covered with black uniforms with thin white stripes running down the front and back. Stitched onto each shoulder was the PHOENIX symbol, behind in a dark, ruby-red, eight-pointed star outlined with white lines. Some of them wore hats which were nothing more then flat-topped brim hats that had the PHOENIX symbol imprinted on the front. There stature was tall and menacing, clear;y the result of years of training and discipline. They were soldiers like no other, able to put shame to even the most qualified of marines. Carmelita was careful to stay in the dark, which wasn’t to difficult given that there was little light underground. The only lights came from the large bulbs that hung from the ice shelf above. After making her way through the tanks she found herself along the solid steel walls that made up the majority of the facility. She walked along the walls until she came to a small access panel. While she wasn’t anywhere near as tech-savvy as Bentley, she knew how to bypass most military grade security firewalls. She typed out a bit on the panel and was able to gain access to a map of the base. She was surprised at how large it really was. The hanger itself was a half-mile long diagonally. The main facility had over twenty floors, many going down even deeper into the ice. Reading the layout, she found that main power came from somewhere at the bottom of the base, most likely harnessing ice and water to power the base. She quickly learned that the access panel would do little to help answer her questions. Most of the files were locked and could only be accessed from a floors central computer. Looking back at the map she found that it would be near impossible to reach the closest computer. It was located deep in the base, likely heavily guarded, and she would easily be spotted. She was about to give in before she noticed a crisscross of ventilation tubes, one of which lead directly over the central computer. If she could find an exhaust she could climb through the vents and stay undetected. She was already this far, why stop now? She logged out of the access panel and slid her way towards an entrance, oblivious to the eyes that watched her every move.

* * *

 

Director Snow and Mathew watched Carmelita from the security cameras. They had watched her ever since she left the gangs quarters. The white wolf stood motionless as he watched her movements. Mathew however was clearly impressed.

“I’m sure we both expected the racoon to be the one sneaking about, not her.”

“Yes, but this has opened new opportunities.”

“Such as?”

“Trust with Cooper and his friends is key if we are to be successful. Watch Ms. Fox, see how she performs and where she goes. When the time’s right tell her what she needs to know. If she asks questions, answer them honestly.”

“And what about you?”

“I need to have a chat with the thief.”

The Director turned to walk away. Mathew nodded and went back to watching the security camera’s but looked back at the Director and spoke.

“Sir…what did you hear?”

The Director stopped. Mathew knew he was crossing a line, but he needed to know. The Director did not turn or move but spoke softly and firm after a brief pause.

“…Home.”                                                                                                                                         


	14. Ghostly Truths

Sly ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He could see his friends in the far distance, yet no matter how much he ran he ever got closer to them. They were screaming, crying, calling to him to save them. Sly ran harder and faster, but still they stayed out of reach. Only after what felt like an eternity did his legs give out and he fell to the ground. He was breathing heavily, trying to keep himself from passing out from exhaustion. He was so close to them, mere feet. He reached out weekly with his arm. Carmelita reached out as well, the tips of their fingers millimeters away from touching. Sly gave one last desperate reach out, and just as he was about to finally touch her, horror struck. Sly watched in dismay and shock as Carmelita’s arm was sliced off by a cold metallic wing. She screamed in agony, blood gushing from her wound. Sly, overcome with pure shock, looked up into the owl’s yellow soul-piercing eyes. ClockWerk looked down at Sly, his lifeless eyes burning Sly, figuratively and literally. Sly’s body was aflame, and while he could feel all the pain, his body remained pure. How he had not died he didn’t know, and he could do nothing but scream and watch as ClockWerk slit each of his friends’ throats. Bentley, Murray, Penelope…and Carmelita. Above all others he watched Carmelita, watched as the metal wing slowly positioned itself under her chin. Sly’s eyes were wide with pain and sadness, begging to all gods and miracles to save Carmelita’s life. ClockWerk took great joy in watching the young raccoon call out and beg. Even though his face was solid steel, Sly could see the smile on the bird’s face; one more insult to throw on the rest. His wing lay still at her neck as ClockWerk bent down, so that when he spoke it went straight into Sly’s ear. His voice was dark and mechanical, empty of any morality or humanity.

“ _Her death will be of your own doing, not mine. You will kill her and your friends, and you will be left with nothing. This is your fate.”_

Sly watched as his own shadow left him and began to take form in front of him. He watched a dark reflection of himself stand tall and breath in deep before turning to Carmelita. ClockWerk removed his metal feather away from her neck and watched as Sly’s shadow reached out and wrapped its hands around Carmelita’s neck. Sly watched in horror as his shadow chocked the life out of Carmelita, ClockWerk cackling manically above them. All of Sly’s anger, hated, sorrow and pain burst forth from him as he screamed out, realizing that it wasn’t his shadow, but himself who had killed the woman he loved. It was too much for Sly. It was only the voice that followed that woke Sly from his nightmare.

“ **Enough**!”

Sly’s eye’s burst open as he woke up screaming. He was shaking, his blood ran ice cold, or was it the floor beneath him that made him cold. He wasn’t in his bed, he was out in the hanger. He looked around franticly. The hanger was empty, no soldiers or tanks or pains, no one but him and the Director. The white wolf stood over him, yet his body had an ethereal glow. It wasn’t just the wolf, but all around him was a ghostly glow, himself included. He had no idea what was happening or why he was here. His body still shook from the experience he had just undertook. It was only once the Director broke the silence did Sly break from his trance.

“These are no ordinary nightmares you are experiencing.”

Sly looked at him, fear and rage in his eyes. He staggered to his feet and dragged himself away from the wolf.

“Y-YOU! STAY B-BACK YOU MONSTER!”

The Director gave Sly nothing more than a neutral stare.

“You’re mistaken if you think I’m the one behind your dreams.”

Sly continued to shake and stare. He blinked once, only to find the wolf now in front of him. He had no time to act before the wolfs paw was placed on his head. Sly instantly felt a calming and a great weight taken off his shoulders. He muscles relaxed and he stood steady, waiting for the Director to finish. A moment more passed before the wolf took his hand from Sly’s head. He gave Sly a blank look before turning and walking away. Sly stood motionless, breathing in and out slowly. His mind was no longer wracked and distraught. He opened his eyes and looked toward the Director.

“What are you?”

The wolf stopped in his tracks. A small smile appeared on his face. He turned to face Sly and met his eyes with his own.

“Something from an age long past.”

Sly accepted the answer, not knowing what it meant but accepting it anyways. He looked around at his surrounding and asked another question.

“What is this?”

The wolf raised a hand and racked it through the air. His claws brushed an unknown entity, the very thing that made everything look so weird.

“A place not unlike out own world. A place where one can perceive the evets of time without interacting with it.”

Again Sly accepted it, not only because he had to but because he somehow understood. He knew he was still asleep, and that this was all happening inside his head, but he had an awareness that could only be the result of some kind of magic. Again he asked a question.

“Why am I here?”

To this question the Director gave a straight forward answer.

“I watched your dream, and I felt your pain. No one should be tortured in such a way, and so I brought you here, a place you can go when you have such nightmares in the future.”

“Why am I having these nightmares? They only started happening once…”

Sly realized then that his nightmares only began after that night in the warehouse. They were responsible. He was angry, but now he was more determined than ever.

“What are they?”

It was the first time Sly had seen any kind of real emotion come from the Director. The wolf answered his question with an angered snort and a roll of his eyes as he walked off toward the right.

“My “siblings” are unlike anything you can imagine. Ruthless, selfish, backstabbing beasts who feed off the suffering and humiliation of others. I had hopped they’d stay away from one another for good, but unfortunately that is not the case.”

Sly could sense a real frustration in the Director as he walked by him. He didn’t know where they were going or why; he just followed and continued to ask questions.

“There’re not…you’re not normal. Why?”

“We are Dire Wolves. Back in the early days of history our people spread out amongst the world, eager to find and see all they could. At some point our ancestors created a great kingdom in what is now much of northern Europe. There our people flourished for over a century, but as with all great kingdoms it was destroyed from within. After that many Dire wolves spread out again, and through years of ‘selective breeding’ many other species of wolves that inhabit the world today came to be, and so our race died out.”

“Then how can you be here?”

The Director stopped for a moment to clear his thoughts. That question had more weight to it then Sly realized. The Director made sure to choose his words carefully.

“There are ‘things’ in this world that have no definition or explanation. The story of how we came to be is long and…unnatural. We are who we are and that is enough.”

“Hmph, that’s not a very convincing answer.”

It was a sudden shift, but one both Sly and the Director welcomed. Sly’s normal manner seemed to miraculously return to him. Perhaps it was because the fear of his nightmare had finally subsided, or maybe it was because he didn’t feel afraid of the wolf anymore. The Director gave a genuine smiled, a rare thing for him to do.

“No, I suppose it’s not, but it will have to do. Some things are better left unsaid.”

Sly looked down, somehow understanding the Directors meaning. It was then he realized where they were. They wee inside the base now and walking down a long corridor. Sly could see something in the distance that they were headed to.

“You didn’t really answer my question from before: Where are we?”

“To put it simply, we are in a place where you may observe the real world without being there. You’re still asleep in your bed. I noticed you were cuffed to it, the work of Ms. Fox I suspect.”

“Yeah…she wanted me to stay in while, um…”

“I already know of Ms. Fox’s whereabouts and her intentions. I was a bit surprised, to say the least, but her actions have given us this opportunity.”

The Director motioned ahead. Sly saw there were in a large computer room now. There were many panels and displays that wrapped around a central computer. Sly looked around before focusing back to the Director when he spoke.

“Now watch and listen. Many of your questions and worries will be answered.”

* * *

 

Carmelita hopped down from the vents and looked around. She had made it inside the security room and luckily there was no one around. The room was lit only by the soft glow of the monitors strewn about the room. She kept low and waited, making sure nothing else moved. When she finally felt safe she slowly crept up to the main computer and began going through it’s files. The bulk of what was readily accessible were the names and information of PHOENIX employees and soldiers. She recognized a few names, many of which she had seen before in missing child reports. It seemed many PHOENIX soldiers were kidnapped at young ages and brought here to be trained. It made her blood boil knowing that all those missing children ended up here, forced to be part of a secret army and knowing nothing better. In retrospect it was very low on the list of crimes PHOENIX had committed, but such things were not known to her yet. The little rest that she could access detailed more of the bases layout, specifically the current floor. She kept digging deeper until a folder name caught her eye: THE PHOENIX CODE. She clicked on the folder and was prompted with a security password, along with a thirty second timer that would sound an alarm if she didn’t put in the password before it reached zero. Things got very tense very quickly as she tried desperately to thing of what she could do.

“Ay dios mio, what do I do! There’s got to be some kind of reset on this damned thing!”

She began franticly looking for a power switch or something to shut the computer off, but everything was hardwired or hidden behind metal frames. The clock had reached ten seconds and she was really starting to panic. She didn’t even notice his golden hand until it brushed past her to type on the keyboard. She jumped back in a fright and starred worryingly at Mathew as he finished typing in the password and pressed enter.

“You know I would think an Interpol agent would be more careful when accessing unauthorized systems.”

The computer screen accepted the given password and opened a folder which contained a single text document. Carmelita watched defensively as Mathew opened the document. What surprised her the most was when he stepped aside and gestured for her to come and read it.

“Here, I think this will answer some of your burning questions.”

She eyed him, then the computer, then back at him.

“This is some kind of trick isn’t it?”

“Would you have preferred I let the alarm sound?”

Carmelita stood silent for a moment, weighing her options and the situation. Finding no other reasonable option she walked forward slowly. She kept her eyes on Mathew until she was next to the monitor. She glanced over back at him one last time before turning to read the document.

* * *

 

_Following the rise of the modern age, PHOENIX was established for a singular purpose: to change the world for the better. To achieve this we do what others will not. We challenge the status quo. Peace is never assured in a world where the many are ruled the few. It is only achieved when all are ruled by one. The world is divided and filled with hate, and we must be the ones to unite it. The dictatorships of the east must be destroyed, and the democracies of the west laid low for all to see. This is not to be done through violence and chaos, but through order and conversion. We must show the world the error of there ways and offer to them a solution they cannot refuse. In time, the boarders that divide us, and the laws that allow the unjust to prevail will be torn down and burned. Crime will be no more. Hunger and poverty will be replaced with care and love. The greedy will have their wealth spread out through the masses, and the corrupt will be stripped of their power and trialed for their deeds. This process will not be an easy one and will not be achieved in our lifetime. It will take time, but eventually the world will grow old and burn away. From its ashes, PHOENIX will emerge just as old storied have told, and with our birth so to will the world be reborn. This is our purpose. This is what you were born to do. This is PHOENIX._

* * *

 

Carmelita was shocked by what she read. It if was true, then her suspicions before were right. PHOENIX wants to take over the world, but she was confused as to there means to do so. Conversion? Rebirth? She didn’t understand, nor did she want to. Her confusion was mingled with anger, and she turned to face Mathew with fury in her eyes.

“So it is true! You goal is to take over the world!”

Mathew gave a half smile, almost as if she words were a child’s joke. This only made the vixen’s blood boil more.

“I didn’t expect you to understand. No one does at first, but in your brutish way of thinking yes, the goal of PHOENIX is to rule the world, but there is much more to it than that.”

“Yeah, like what? Don’t try to give me some sob story about how children in Africa are dying, or how politicians are corrupt.”

“The points you make are exactly what I mean, and much more to. The world is in a stalemate, nothing is getting done. Do you know why those children in Africa are dying, because nothing is being done about it. There’s no real leadership in the world.”

Carmelita gave out a huff of anger and rolled her eyes.

“You sound just like ever bad guy from every movie and book. ‘Oh, the world is evil and I’m the only one that can save it but I have to kidnap children and kill people to achieve it.’ You’re nothing but a story book criminal, and I’m going to make sure you rot behind bars for it!”

To her surprise, and frustration, Mathew simply gave out a hearty laugh and smiled at her.

“You’re right, I sound just like every movie villain bent on world domination. In many respects I am exactly like that, except for one major difference.”

Carmelita crossed her eyes and looked sternly at him.

“Yeah, and what’s that?”

Mathew clasped his hands behind his back, stood up tall, and stepped toward her. Carmelita stood her ground, but as he got close her eyes slightly fell to her head.

“The difference is that I am right.”

He spoke his words in such a commanding and ‘right’ way that made Carmelita feel a bit uneasy. It only now dawned on her again where she was and what this man could do to her. Mathew turned and walked back a few steps, relieving Carmelita a bit now that he wasn’t in her face.

“Imagine, if you can, a world where there truly is no evil. A world that is advanced beyond its years, both technological and cultural. A world where no child goes without a meal, where no senator or politician can live off of the suffering of the people. Imagine a world exactly like what we have now but without all of those things and you begin to understand what PHOENIX is.”

He turned back to face her. His face was serious and his eyes determined. Carmelita listened intently, her anger had subsided and now she was genuinely curious.

“The word we seek is not so different from what it is now. Our goal of everlasting peace and zero crime is something we know we can’t achieve, but we can do it better then anyone else. We are not driven by wealth or desire, but by the betterment of all people. The world needs a firm hand to guide it, to keep it on track, and that is what we aim to do. We aren’t controlling the world by ruling it, we are simply changing what has been unchangeable. The world is filled with chaos and misery. We seek to bring order and balance to all things. It is not something the world wants to accept, but it has to if it is to have any hope of survival.”

Mathew was clearly passionate about what he believed, something that Carmelita, at the very least, respected even if she disagreed. He seemed to genuinely want to help and make things better, but just like in the stories that was never the true intention.

“You can believe that you vision of the future is something that all people should strive for, but you’re wrong. The world is what it and it can’t change. There is always going to be chaos and crime. I’ve learned working with Interpol that there will always be someone who breaks the law or does the wrong thing, and it’s up to the good guys to stop the bad guys. That’s how it’s always been and how it’s always going to be.”

“You’re right. People are what they are and history has shown we can never change. I can see why you think our vision is impossible, I myself believed it to be impossible for many years, but then I learned something that changed my perception of the world forever.”

Carmelita cocked an eyebrow, curious as to what he meant.

“One person can influence others, but I the end they become the same as all other people. The world doesn’t need another person, it needs something else, something…evolved. The Director is that something.”

“You mean your boss, the one that looks just like those other wolves you seem so interested in?”

“Mr. Cooper described the Director perfectly during his outburst. He is unnatural, more so then you can possibly know. The Director isn’t one of us, he isn’t like the rest of the world. He is something more, something above what we are. When I spoke of ruling the world, I didn’t mean myself. I am just another solider following orders. The true ruler is the Director. He is the only one that can change us, make us better.”

Carmelita was a bit disturbed by Mathews description. Like Sly she knew the Director was strange and like the other wolves they had encountered, but now things were getting creepy.

“What is he? What are they?”

“ ‘They’ are beyond us. They see the world in a different way then we do, they perceive things in a way we cannot. They are siblings, brothers and sisters of a race long forgotten. Their kind are what we aspire to be. The Wolf Pack are the last of there kind and they seek to rule this world with an iron grip. They don’t want it remade or help, they want it burned to the ground and blow away as ash. We are inferior to them and they seek to eradicate us. We cannot make the world better so long as they live to take and destroy all that we have achieved. That is why we need you help to stop them.”

There was almost a plea in his voice. Carmelita, now more in thought then anything, looked down and thought for a moment before answering.

“If ‘they’ are what you say, then what can we do to stop them? If they’re beyond what we are, then what chance do we have to compete?”

“The Director has made it clear the danger they possess and has such shown us the way to stopping them. They are powerful, but they are not without there weakness. PHOENIX has the power to stop them but not without help…not without a Cooper.”

Carmelita darted her eyes to him.

“What does Sly have to do with this?”

“Surely you know of his history and power. Sly has many talents, but his true potential is locked within him. In the past, only a Cooper has been able to go head on with the entire Wolf Pack and live. We need Sly in order to finish them once and for all.”

“Sly’s just a thief, not a soldier. Just because he knows how to fight doesn’t make him some kind of warrior.”

“Doesn’t it? Let’s look back the last few years and see what he has done. He single-handedly took down one of the greatest crime syndicates, destroyed a millennium-old metal bird, journeyed around the world finding said pieces of bird, defeated many criminals along the way and defeated ClockWerk AGAIN. He then united with a band of master thieves like himself, including a man who was responsible for his parent’s death, discovered his ancestors vault and caught a glimpse of the wonders and powers his ancestors possessed. You want to explain to me how he is NOT special?”

Carmelita opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She looked back on all the adventures she had gone on to try and get Sly. She might not have been there for the important things, but she knew that everything Mathew said was true. Sly had even shown her the Thievius Raccoonus and had detailed many of the heroic deeds his ancestors had done. Maybe Mathew was right. Maybe there was more to Sly then Sly even knew about himself. Mathew noticed her pondering and decided it was enough for one night.

“I’m sure you have a lot to think about, but now you know the truth and I swear to you it is. You may never agree with our goals, but you can agree that the Wolf Pack needs to be stopped.”

Mathew extended out his arm and held his hand open for her. She eyed him then his hand before reluctantly reaching for it and giving a firm handshake.

“Fine, but don’t think this means I’m just going to forget everything once this is all over. I’m going to make sure everyone finds out about PHOENIX and what you plan to do.”

Mathew smiled as he finished their handshake.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way Ms. Fox. You’re a strong woman who is steadfast in her beliefs. I respect that.”

The golden jackal then turned toward the security door and punched in a code that opened it. He gestured for Carmelita to leave first. Once they were both out of the security room he made sure the door behind them was locked.

“In the future if you have any questions just ask. Not everyone is as understanding around here, especially Athena.”

“Hmph, yeah, she looked ‘real’ scary. What is she, some kind of assassin?”

“You’re not to far from the truth, but it’s not my place to speak on her behalf. If you want to know then ask her, but don’t expect a warm response.”

Carmelita rolled her eyes and followed Mathew. He gave her a small tour of the facility, all in the hopes of gaining more of her trust. It worked to little affect, but Carmelita was glad she now knew PHOENIX’s true purpose. It might not have been as sinister in intention as she thought, but she still would not allow it to happen. She only hoped Sly would understand all this when she explained it to him later, unaware that Sly had been watching from the very beginning.

* * *

 

“So…world domination eh? Not very unique, but your take on it is.”

The Director gave a half sort of laughter

“I see you share the inspector’s point of view on the matter.”

“Well yeah, du, you’re completely insane and not at all original. You want to rule the world for control. People are not that stupid to believe that you’re some kind of savior sent to heal the world.”

“ ‘People’ are stupid, arrogant and quick to judge. A person is smart and can see the bigger picture…but if you were listening to what Mathew had to say you would know I’m not just a person.”

Sly rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

“Yeah, that part was made very clear. So are you some kind of alien or...?”

“You know your father asked the same question. You two are very much alike.”

Sly went quiet. Mathew had mentioned before that his father had worked with PHOENIX in the past. He didn’t know how much of that was true but he was about to find out.

“What do you know about my father?”

“Many years ago, before you father decided to settle down and have you, three members of the Wolf Pack emerged from hiding. We thought then that they were returning and we knew we needed a Cooper. I had Mathew contact your father and we brought him here and explained much of what you just heard. Like you he didn’t hold our beliefs, but he understood the threat my brothers and sisters posed and he agreed to help us. We sent him on scout missions to try and track them down but they always seemed to simply disappear. After a year of searching we finally gave up and we told Connor he was free to go without fear of PHOENIX watching him. After that he left and we never heard from him again. He was a good man till the very end.”

Sly let the story sink in, then his face grew a somewhat disappointed look.

“That’s it? My father was your errand boy for a year then when he couldn’t find them you just let him go?”

“Like I said, he was a good man, but I jumped the gun to early as it were. The Wolf Pack weren’t ready to show themselves yet, and so we had no need for your father after that. True to my word we never followed or watched him. The work you Coopers do is admirable…you and I aren’t that different after all.”

“We are nothing alike…”

“Oh aren’t we? We both want to make the world place, and to do so we have to break the law. You steal from criminals, I change governments and viewpoints. Not so different in my opinion.”

Sly got the feeling it was a joke, but with how stern and neutral the Directors voice was it was hard to tell. Regardless, Sly was still warry of the Director, not so much of what he could do, but of what he was. Sly still didn’t have the full story, and at this point he didn’t know if he wanted to know.

“So what makes me so special?”

“It is one thing to be able to turn invisible, or slow down time, or harness electricity into a weapon, but for someone to be able to do all these and more is truly something. Have you never once asked yourself how it is possible for you to do such things, or how your ancestors invented such techniques?”

“Well…no. I know not everyone can do the things I can, but there are plenty of things others can do that I can’t. I’m not some kind of wizard if that’s what you’re getting at.”

The Director let out a snort of laughter again.

“No, you are by no means a wizard, but you possess powers that others do not, and you are able to learn then with ease. Your family is truly gifted, but there is more to you then what you already are.”

Sly was about to ask more but when silent when he realized where they were. He had not even noticed that they had traveled back to his room. Sly looked down at his sleeping body; to say the sensation was strange was an understatement.

“It will be dawn soon, and there is much more we must discuss regarding the Wolf Pack. Tell you friends of what has happened tonight and help them understand. We are not enemies in this Sly, and you will need your friends full support if there is any hope of defeating the Wolf Pack.”

The Director turned and looked down at Sly and held out his hand. Sly eyed it for a moment before reaching out and shaking his hand.

“I don’t trust you, but I understand the threat. Just promise that me and my friends won’t be harmed after this is over, and you have my full support.”

The Director gave a slight nod of his head.

“You have my word. Like I said, I respect your work and would not see it hindered…”

The Director let go of Sly’s hand and gestured to his sleeping body.

“We will speak more later. Tell Ms. Fox of your experience. I’m sure it will help her see things more clearly.”

And with that, the ghostly figure of the white wolf faded. Sly was left along in the ghostly world and he didn’t want to stay. He laid down on the bed and positioned himself to match his body. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them everything was normal again. He laid silent for a moment before sitting up. He went to move his arm but had it held firm by Carmelita’s cuffs. As if on que Carmelita entered the room, her face filled with many fixed feelings.

“Sly, we need to talk.”

“You have no idea…”

* * *

 

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Well, if Serina’s calculations are correct, which they always are, he should be operational within two weeks. I still need to wire his wings and configure his central programing.”

Vrook nodded to Nathan. The young wolf’s expertise in engineering and robotics was unparalleled. He wanted everything to be done as quickly as possible, but he knew patience was needed. This was there only chance at retrieving what was lost, and everything needed to go exactly according to plan. He began walking back to his quarters but stopped when Luna called for him. He peered into her room, looking at the books strewn about that contained ancient and dark spells. She had clearly been looking for something; obviously she didn’t have it. He looked over and saw her packing a small suitcase.

“I need to return home to retrieve some things. I won’t be gone long.”

Vrook starred at her with stern eyes.

“You’re not going.”

Luna looked back at him, her purple eyes starring into his stone-cold soul.

“Do not make this a test of wills Vrook.”

“PHOENIX will have eyes in every corner of he world by the time you get there. Once they spot you they will come for you.”

Luna walked up until she was mere inches from Vrook. Luna had always had a very independent spirit, one that did not back down easily.

“I know the risks, but you know how important my spells are. PHOENIX won’t be able to catch me even if they do see me.”

Vrook starred into the witch’s eyes. There was so much power behind them, dark power that had been honed through centuries of practice. It wasn’t a matter of if she would be safe, but of how it could complicate things if she was spotted. Vrook knew she wasn’t going to back down, so he decided to compromise.

“Fine, but Clayton goes with you, and Emily. The three of you should catch up…it’s been to long for us all.”

Luna smiled and nodded.

“Agreed. I’m sure they both have many stories to tell.”

Vrook smiled.

“I’m sure you will all have much to discuss. Be safe.”


	15. Know Thy Enemy

“So let me get this straight Sly. You’re saying that the Director of PHOENIX is not only a Dire Wolf but is also ‘related’ to the Wolf Pack, and he claims that you have some special powers you don’t know about, AND that you’re the only one who can stop them?”

Sly shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“Yeah, pretty much. Cool huh?”

Bentley lowered his head and grabbed the base of his nose with his index finger and thumb and sighed. Murray on the other hand was in awe.

“Wow, that’s like, insane Sly! So what else can you do? Can you fly or read minds?”

“I don’t think it works like that big guy. He said my family has something special in our blood but he stopped there. I don’t know if I believe him but why would he lie about it?”

Bentley had let the information sink in before speaking again, this time to Carmelita.

“And Mathew, the General? He just let you sneak around into the control room and access their files?”

“Well not really. I didn’t find much besides what he showed me. Everything else he explained. He’s very passionate about what he believes…”

“CARMELITA! He wants to take over the world! You’re a cop, you know he needs to be stopped.”

“I know that Bentley! He needs to be stopped, him and all of PHOENIX…it’s just that he right.”

Everyone went silent and looked at her with shocked and confused looks. Carmelita noticed and narrowed her eyes and got defensive.

“He’s not right about taking over the world idiots! He’s right when he said they have the means to do it. Mathew’s just another tool like everyone else…the wolf is the real threat.”

Sly gave her a knowing look.

“I think we can all agree that their plans are wrong and they need to be stopped, but there’s a bigger threat. You know as well as I do how dangerous those wolves were that night in the warehouse; imagine what they can really do now that we know what they are. There’re evil, I could tell by how the Director spoke about them. If what he says is true about them then they need to be stopped…and if there is something we can do to help then we must.”

Carmelita gave Sly a smile, one that showed how thankful and proud she was of him. Sly then turned to his friends and got serious, which was a rare thing for him.

“I know I dragged you all into this and I’m sorry. I know that thieving is one thing and this is another thing entirely, but we have to help. We’ve done impossible things in the past: we’ve taken down crime lords, defeated ClockWerk twice, fought off criminals and pirates and skeletons and all sorts of things, and we always came out on top. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m asking…”

Bentley and Murray gave it a real thought. While Bentley had voiced his opinions and concerns openly, Murray had kept his thoughts to himself. Truth be told he didn’t like being here or working with these strange people, but after Sly’s pep-talk he realized how right Sly was. They had done impossible things in the past, how was now any different. Murray trusted Sly, he always had and always will.

“You’ve always looked out for us Sly, even when things went bad. I trust you; I’M IN!”

“Heh, thanks pal…Bentley?”

Bentley looked up from his thought-induced daze and starred at Sly. He reached up and took off his glasses, breathed on each lens, wiped them clean and put his glasses back on. Bentley shook his head and let a smile slip out.

“You’re mad Sly, we’re all mad…but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that doing the stupid thing is usually the right thing. I’m in.”

Sly smiled and nodded to his green friend. He knew Bentley meant well, even if he hated to admit it. Sly then turned to Penelope.

“I know you haven’t been part of the gang for very long, but I hop-”

“Say no more Sly, I’m in. I admit this a pretty stupid plan but that’s what makes it exciting. Besides, what better do we have to do?”

Sly smiled, but not as much as Bentley did. Penelope placed a hand on his should and the two just starred at each other smiling. It was clear they had feelings for each other, but both were to awkward and nerdy to admit it. Carmelita walked over and placed a hand on Sly’s shoulder.

“You know Sly, you make a pretty good leader when you want to be.”

“Nah, it just part of my charm. It worked on you so I must be doing it right.”

Carmelita rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. He yelled out and rubbed his arm while Carmelita laughed.

“You just watch yourself Ringtail. I can easily drag your tail to jail and throw away the key.”

“Yeah? Would you come and visit me and keep me company?”

“Only if you were good and earned it.”

The two-flirting made Bentley want to gag. Penelope giggled and thought it was cute, while Murray was more preoccupied on what he wanted to eat. The mood had an abrupt change when there came a knock on the door. Sly looked at everyone before walking over and opening the door. Standing outside was Athena. He looked at Sly with narrowed eyes and a neutral tone in her voice. Sly on the other hand smiled and greeted her with his normal upbeat attitude.

“Hey there, fancy meeting you here. You come to drop by and say hi?”

“I don’t have the time nor patience to indulge your childish antics. The Director wants to see you; all of you.”

Sly gave a fake frown and leaned against the door.

“No need to be all serious. We can be friends, right?”

“…”

“Riiight…just a sec.”

A few moments later and the gang was following Athena. Sly kept trying to make small talk but she either ignored him or told him to buzz off. She led the group through a few long corridors and up a flight of stairs. Before long they came to the end of a hallway that held two large doors, above them a sign read BRIEFING ROOM. Once again Sly tried to make small talk.

“So are we here so you can tell us all about yourself or...?”

Athena stopped in her tracks and got right up into Sly’s face, her eyes locked with anger onto his.

“I’m going to say this slow and calm so you can understand. We are NOT friends and we never will be. You’re here because the Director wants you to be, that’s IT! Do not talk to me, do not interact with me, and don’t think about me, GOT IT?”

Sly stood for a second with a surprised look. He looked down a sec, then back up at her and gave a coy grin.

“Y-yeah…got it, heheh.”

“Good.”

The cougar backed away and let Sly have his space. He looked back at the others who all just gave him annoyed looks, Carmelita especially. He shrugged his shoulders and followed Athena into the briefing room.

Inside sat a large oval table, complete with a total of twelve or more chairs. The walls were dark grey and bare, with a single section of the back wall containing a large monitor in the center. Mathew stood at attention next to the monitor, and the Director sat opposite him at one end of the table. He looked up, starring at Athena for a moment then at Sly. He said nothing, but Sly knew the question the Director was asking him. He nodded slightly, to which the Director returned, satisfied. Athena took a seat next to the Director after gesturing for the others to sit. Once everyone was settled in, Mathew cleared his throat. He stood tall and proud, his stature showing him to be a natural leader.

“Before we can begin operations, it is important that you all understand the enemy we face and what they are capable of.”

The Jackal clicked a button on the remote he held in his hand. The lights in the room dimmed and the monitor rose to life. On it appeared the PHOENIX symbol, below it the words in bold red: PHOENIX PERSONNEL ONLY CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.

[PHOENIX](http://fav.me/dcfd1k0)

“This is what little information we have gathered on each member of the Wolf Pack…”

Mathew clicked again and the first file appeared.

[CLAYTON](http://fav.me/dcfd1cp)

The image that appeared instantly made Sly grind his teeth. Clayton was the one who threatened to kill Carmelita. Carmelita noticed his anger and laid a hand on his arm to calm him. Mathew talked through each section.

_Clayton._

_Codename: The Weapon._

_Male Dire Wolf._

_Role: Weapons specialist and fighter._

_Combat Proficiency: Target is known to switch regularly between ranged and melee weapons, specifically his duel katanas and a pair of revolvers._

_Known Weaknesses: When target is preoccupied, sneak attacks have been effective in the past._

_Threat Level: VERY high. Do not engage alone._

_Notes: Target is known to have the personality commonly referred to as a ‘ladies’ man’. Previous scouting has revealed a potential relationship between target and The Beauty. Further investigation is needed to confirm this. Target is also very fond of his headwear. It and potential relationship may be used against target._

Sly did nothing but glare at the image of Clayton. Out of them all, besides Vrook, he remembered Clayton the clearest. His smug attitude and his disregard for mercy. He was a punk and a thug, someone Sly would have great pleasure in taking down. Mathew brought up the next profile and read through it.

[EMILY](http://fav.me/dcfd1gj)

Sly remembered her. She had been the one to come and get him while he was tied up. It only dawned on Sly now after reading her profile that she had been the one he and Carmelita had chased after in the first place.

_Emily_

_Codename: The Rouge._

_Female Dire Wolf._

_Role: Scouting, reconnaissance and theft._

_Combat Proficiency: Target is skilled in close quarters stealth and incapacitation of agents._

_Known Weaknesses: Previous encounters have shown a massive decrease is efficiency when target is cornered and unable to hide._

_Threat Level: Mild. Low when cornered._

_Notes: Many previous encounters have ended without any confrontation. Reports filed claim target wants to “chat” most of the time. Target exhibits child-like attitudes that may confuse agents when encountered. Agents are reminded to remain alert and aware of the threat the Wolf Pack poses._

A thief huh? Sly didn’t really expect that, though if her profile was correct then it made sense. She seemed to be a lot like him, especially the attitude part. Mathew went to the next profile.

[LUNA](http://fav.me/dcfd1gq)

The image of the dark wolf made Sly stop. There wasn’t much information on her, which made things intriguing. The image made Sly think of his nightmares, and putting two-and-two together, he concluded that she was behind them.

_Luna._

_Codename: The Shadow._

_Female Dire Wolf_

_Role: Unknown_

_Combat Proficiency: Unknown. Target has not been engaged in combat as of yet._

_Known Weaknesses: Unknown._

_Threat Level: Unknown._

_Notes: Previous scouting groups have reported target displaying supernatural abilities. Target is known to create shadows and illusions. Target is wanted alive for further study. Too much is unknown about this member._

Sly wasn’t sure why or how he noticed it, but he could see a distinction on the Directors face. It was subtle, but there; obviously this particular member brought out a reaction in the Director. Sly wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he made sure to keep watching from now on to see if it happened again. Mathew turned to the next profile.

[NATHAN](http://fav.me/dcfd1gu)

The young wolf seemed so…lively, happy even. He didn’t seem menacing like the others, but that didn’t make him any less then what he was. Bentley was the most curious out of every one of him.

_Nathan._

_Codename: The Tech._

_Male Dire Wolf_

_Role: Technician and engineer_

_Combat Proficiency: Target has not been encountered in direct combat. Target ops to using machines and robots as a means of attack and defense._

_Known weaknesses: Loss of technical weaponry may render target helpless._

_Threat level: High with technology. Negligible without, presumably._

_Notes: Target has a high affinity for technology and robotics. Machines encountered have been described as being far more advanced then they should be. Further study is needed. Capture of technology or target is paramount._

Sly didn’t notice any reaction from the Director this time. He found the young wolf interesting, but not as much as Bentley did. Just the idea of what the wolf was capable of invigorated Bentley. Mathew continued.

[OCTAVIA](http://fav.me/dcfd1gy)

The room went silent for a moment. Out of the eight people in the room, only Athena, Carmelita, Penelope and the Director were unaffected. Everyone else, including Mathew, were in a sort of daze. It had happened before to Sly went he first met Octavia in the warehouse. Her beauty was…something else. It left them speechless; they just starred at her slender and perfect body. The Director’s snap of fingers woke them from there daze. Athena glared at Mathew, Carmelita glared at Sly, and Penelope glared at Bentley and Murray. The men realized what had happened and felt their cheeks go red with embarrassment, all but Mathew of course. He had been trained to resist her charms, but no amount of training could fully put an end to there animalistic behavior. He cleared his throat and shifted in place before speaking.

_Octavia._

_Codename: The Beauty._

_Female Dire Wolf._

_Role: Intelligence gathering and infiltration._

_Combat Proficiency: Target engages foes in flirtatious manipulations. If unsuccessful, target refers to dual combat daggers._

_Known Weaknesses: Recommend engaging target with female agents to render seductive antics minimal._

_Threat Level: High. This may differ between agents of male or female._

_Notes: Target has been known to stun male agents, being described as “beautiful beyond compare”. Further discipline is needed to ensure this animalistic behavior does not continue._

She truly was something, perfect in every physical way. If just her image could stun them as it did, imagine how worse it could be in real life. The women in the room all glared at the wolf. Women tended to get jealous easily with one another, especially when THEIR men get captivated by such a gorgeous and perfect woman. Mathew quickly moved to the next profile to ease the tension.

[TALION](http://fav.me/dcfd1h0)

Another young-looking wolf, but with a power unlike any other. The mystical wolf captivated the gang. They had dealt with magic-wielders and objects in the past, but he seemed to be something else entirely.

_Talion._

_Codename: The Mage._

_Male Dire Wolf._

_Role: Mystic arts and sorcery._

_Combat Proficiency: Target displays supernatural abilities. Full extent of power is unknown._

_Known Weaknesses: Target is known to possess a book of spells. Removal of book may render target helpless._

_Threat Level: Unknown. Target has not been directly engaged._

_Notes: There may be a connection between target and The Shadow. Further intel is needed to confirm this._

There wasn’t anything more to say about the wolf. He was powerful, but it seemed little was known about him. If the Director knew more, he kept it to himself. Mathew moved on.

[VINCE](http://fav.me/dcfd1h4)

He was a brute, clear as day. His fur was a stark contrast to the Directors; coal black. It was easy to see his muscles bulge out. All Sly remembered about him was that he had knocked Sly unconscious with one hit.

_Vince._

_Codename: The Muscle._

_Male Dire Wolf._

_Role: Combat enforcer and heavy weapons specialist._

_Combat Proficiency: Target prefers the use of his fists. At range, uses a .45 combat pistol._

_Known Weaknesses: Target has shown extreme protective behavior towards other members. Target is also known to drink excessively._

_Threat level: Very high._

_Notes: Target exhibits extreme physical strength, as well as extreme emotional outbursts. Reported to often become intoxicated. May be used as an advantage._

He was a mean looking man, a real fighter. Murray looked at him and glared, remembering their fight in the warehouse. It was rare for Murray to fight someone who matched his own strength and he took this as a challenge. He was always looking to better himself, and Vince provided the perfect excuse for him to get stronger and better. Mathew brought up the last profile.

[VROOK](http://fav.me/dcfd1ha)

This was the one everyone had been waiting for. His image brought a great tension to the room. All of this revolved around him. He was the leader, the Alpha of a literal wolf pack. Sly starred at him, many mixed feelings went on inside of him. He looked over and saw the Director. His eyes were trained on the image of Vrook. The two were arch-enemies. Sly also noticed Athena, who’s hands had clenched into hard fists of anger. She glared at the image, hatred and fire burning in her eyes. Even Mathews demeaner changed when he spoke, one fuller of conviction and spite.

_Vrook._

_Codename: The Alpha._

_Male Dire Wolf_

_Role: Pack leader and mentor._

_Combat Proficiency: Target is known to only use a collapsible bo-staff. Agents also report target uses forms of intimidation to incapacitate foes and render them inoperable._

_Known Weaknesses: Unknown._

_Threat level: Extremely high. Do NOT engage target without prior authorization._

_Notes: Target is key to defeating the Wolf Pack. Previous engagements have agents unable to move or acts in targets presence. It is unknown how this is achieved, but it is imperative that the Wolf Pack is stopped, no matter the cost._

Once Mathew finished, everyone was silent. The silence stood for a moment, giving everyone time to reflect and absorb the information they had just learned. If their files were anything to go on, the Wolf Pack were truly a band of extraordinary and dangerous individuals. Whatever their goals, it was guaranteed it couldn’t be good, and the Director was determined to stopping them at any cost. When he stood, everyone starred at him, waiting for his next move. He took a deep breath in, then starred at the Vrooks profile with his ocean blue eyes.

“Once, I called these people my brothers, my sisters. Once we were a family…but those days are gone. Now they seek only ruin and death for all who stand in their way.”

The Director turned to Sly and starred at him, determined and stern.

“You, Sly Cooper, are our only means of putting an end to there terror.

The next few seconds were a very awkward pause. Sly let his words sink in before realizing just how crazy it all sounded. He looked at each leader of PHOENIX, the General, the Assassin, and the Director before speaking.

“Riiiiight…and just how am I supposed to do that?”

The Director cocked an eyebrow, clearly confused by his response.

“Excuse me?”

“Look, it’s not that I don’t agree with you that they need to be stopped, but just HOW exactly do you expect ME to stop them? I told you before I’m just a thief, I’m not a soldier.”

“And I told you, there is a power inside you tha-”

“Yeah I know what you said. I just don’t understand what makes me so special. You say I have this great gift, but I’ve never felt it, nor heard about it from any of my ancestors.”

“Did you ever think that maybe they didn’t want future Coopers to know?”

Sly was about to speak more until the doors to the briefing room burst open. A small rabbit, no taller than Bentley, ran in holding something in his hands. He was already out of breath and was breathing heavily.

“G-GENERAL, I HAVE URGENT NEWS FROM-”

The hare’s eyes went wide is fear as he noticed the Director. Obviously he hadn’t known the Director was here, otherwise he would not have burst in like he had. Shaking, he stood at attention and saluted to the Director and spoke with a soft and fearful voice.

“D-Director Snow. P-please forgive the intrusion, I d-didn’t know you were here…”

The Director starred down at him with a neutral face. He stood in silence for a moment before holding out his hand.

“Give me the file.”

Without a second thought the rabbit handed the folder over to the Director. He took it from the hare’s hand and motioned for him to leave. He did promptly without a second guess, grateful he was still alive. The Director opened the folder and read the report inside. His face remained neutral and stern. After a moment he tossed the file down on the table toward Sly.

“You might want to read this.”

Sly looked to the wolf, then the folder, then to his friends, then back to the folder. He was confused to be sure, but whatever it was it seemed important. He reached forward and grabbed the folder and read the contents inside. It was a single page the contained a government report of a break in at a secure facility in Russia. The report stated that the facility’s perimeter had been breached two days ago and highly classified and secure documents had been stolen. Sly’s heart stopped when he read what had been stolen. His face went pale and his hands went cold. He began to shake, enough that Carmelita and the others noticed and began to worry. Sly threw the folder down and starred blankly in front of him. Carmelita laid a hand on him and asked him what the matter was, but he just kept starring blankly. The Directors words were what brought him back to reality.

“It would seem you cannot catch a break Mr. Cooper. The past still haunts you. Are you willing to do what is necessary to put an end to it once and for all?”

Sly turned and starred at him. He still shook, but now more out of anger. The Director met Sly’s gaze with his own, and when their eyes locked a pact was made. It was no longer a case of what Sly believed, now it was personal. He simply nodded, bringing a smile to the Directors face. Carmelita had reached over and read through the file herself and let out a saddened sigh when she read it. The others looked at her, wanting to know what it was. She was about to whisper it to them before Sly simply blurted it out with an angered and spiteful voice.

_“ClockWerk”_

* * *

 

_“…to my friends in New York, I say hello. My friends in L.A. they don’t know where I’ve been for the past few years or so, Paris to China to Col-or-ado…”_

Nathan sung along to the song as he blared it in his workshop. It was part of his “Work Playlist” and one of his favorites. He was strapped into a harness and hung from the ceiling as he worked on the circuitry in ClockWerk’s left shoulder. He was probably thirty feet above the ground, maybe more. He needed to get the wiring done before he could weld on the first wing, which he knew would be a pain in the ass to get done. He kept singing along, minding his own business until the music abruptly cut out. He took off his goggles and looked down, seeing Vince down by the radio.

“Yo squirt! Luna and the others are leaving.”

“Alright, tell them I said bye.”

“You’re not going to come tell them yourself?”

“They’ll be gone for a week Vince, there not leaving forever. Now turn my music back on so I can get to work.”

The young wolf put his goggles back on and went back to soldering two wires together. Vince rolled his eyes and made a grand leap up to where the engineer was, landing of ClockWerk’s half finished shoulder. His landing shook the entire casing of ClockWerk and completely threw Nathan off his balance.

“HEY! You just messed up this whole circuit network!”

“Oh put a sock in it, nothings broke. I just wanted to see if you needed anything.”

“I would LIKE to be able to work in peace if you don’t mind.”

“Hey, don’t be like that! I’m just wanting to help is all.”

“Uhg…fine. I’m just about done with this section. You mind getting the wing and holding it in place while I weld it on?”

“You mean the two-and-a-half tone chunk of titanium in the corner?”

“Well if it’s to much for you to handle…”

“You better watch it nerd. Just cause you’re all tech-savvy doesn’t mean I can’t still knock your lights out.”

“Yeah yeah, you can try.”

Vince gave a coy smirk and jumped down thirty feet to the floor. He walked over to the corner of the workshop where Nathan had stashed the wings after he had built them. He lowered himself down and grabbed ahold underneath the wing he needed, and with a strong heave up he lifted the multi-ton part and walked it over to the main body of the gigantic owl. Nathan finished up fixing the damage Vince had made and closed up the final shell of the shoulder. He swung himself around and positioned himself above where the shoulder and wing would meet.

“Alright now bring it forward. More. A little to your left. No your other left. GO RIGHT! Okay now forward. STOP! Okay now turn it fifteen degrees. No the other way! Okay almost. Lean in a bit. PERFECT!”

Vince grunted in discomfort at how he had to hold the damn thing. He was squatting with one leg outstretched and the other curled up under him. The thing was heavy to be sure and his calf muscles were starting to cramp.

“Grr, how long do I have to hold this blasted thing!”

“Just a few more minutes…”

Nathan got to work on welding the two pieces. He started underneath to save himself the hassle later. Vince shifted in place as he waited while Nathan continued his welding. After what felt like an hour Nathan put down his tools and looked over his work.

“Okay you can let go now.”

Glad to be done, Vince let go and drew himself back from the mysterious owl. Once he let go the whole body shifted to the side. He went to go grab it but Nathan’s safety measures kicked in first and held the piece in place. Tethers sprung out and stuck to the metallic body and held it in place. Nathan hoisted himself up onto the catwalk above and unbuckled himself from his harness. He walked over to the elevator and rode it down to the ground level. Vince crossed his arms and looked over the half-build bird.

“I still don’t get why this is taking so long for you to build.”

“Because the original plans needed to be modified. The original ClockWerk was five-times smaller and made out of steel and rusted medal. I needed him to be bigger and stronger, which required a lot of change to his original schematics.”

“I guess your right. I could never had done something like this…it’s good to see you haven’t changed.”

Nathan looked to Vince and cocked a brow.

“Are you saying you missed me?”

Vince rolled his eyes and scowled.

“Oh please, you think I miss hearing you blab on about you next great invention or how you discovered how to make anti-gravity?”

Nathan just chuckled and looked up at ClockWerk. The two just starred at it a moment, their thought elsewhere. After a minute Nathan spoke.

“I’m glad to have you back brother…”

“…so am I.”

The two turned and hugged, one brother to another. There embrace lasted a moment before they let go. Vince smiled and nodded.

“Come on, you need a break for now. I threw in a couple pizzas that should be done now.”

Nathan nodded and the two walked toward the kitchen. Nathan was about to ask a question but Vince cut him off.

“I swear if you ask for pineapple on your pizza I’m going to punch you.”

Nathan rolled his eyes and laughed, knowing that this kind of argument was not one he was going to win.

 


	16. Midnight Run

Sly swung his cane hard at the practice dummy. After the news of ClockWerk, everything was shifted into third gear. Sly no longer cared about PHOENIX’s true motives or their overall goal. What mattered to him was stopping ClockWerk once and for all, and if it meant working with the Director then so be it. The Director, satisfied that he had Sly’s complete and unweaving support now, allowed him and the rest of the gang access to much more of the facility, including the troops training room. Sly was there now, practicing his skills he had learned over the years that would be useful in fighting the Wolf Pack. Their number one goal was to find and stop the Wolf Pack before they could get ClockWerk working again. Sly didn’t know why they were rebuilding him, but whatever it was it could only spell disaster.

Sly leapt off a pillar he had been standing on and swung his cane down onto another dummy. He then swung to his left to hit another, then twirled his cane around and struck one behind him. Left, right, down, behind, twirl around and strike. With each strike he hit harder and harder as his internal anger grew, growing to the point where when he hit the last training dummy, his swing was so strong he broke it from its stand. He stood and heaved in and out while clutching his cane for a moment. He was breathing rapidly, pain and anger swirling around inside him. He didn’t even notice Carmelita walk up to him until she placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Sly, you need to take a break.”

He jerked his head over to stare at her. Once their eyes met his anger melted. He let his muscles relax and he loosened his grip on his cane. He let out a tried sigh and walked over to a nearby bench and slumped down to sit. Carmelita followed and sat next to him, placing a hand on his back to comfort him.

“I’m sorry things have come to this.”

Sly looked down and remembered his past.

“I thought it was over…after Clock-La I thought we were done for good…”

Carmelita understood what he was going through, or at least she could imagine. She had read his report many times in the past when she was trying to catch him. Sly had been only eight years old when his parents were murdered in front of his eyes. The Fiendish Five had been merciless when they killed Connor and his wife, ClockWerk above all. Not only had he killed Sly parents, but he had been responsible for countless other Cooper deaths throughout history. How one man could have had so much hate was still a mystery, but his hatred for the Coopers made him one of, if not the single most cruel and vile man to have ever lived. This was how she saw him, but Sly’s view was far more personal. ClockWerk hadn’t just been vile and cruel, but much more. He had been a plague, a nightmare that had haunted his family for generations. His family had been hunted like animals for centuries, many meeting a grizzly fate to the owls’ metal talons. He had been the living embodiment of darkness and evil and could be so again very soon. Behind his anger and sadness was a fear Sly had put behind him long ago. The fear of death, not only for himself but his friends, and the future of his family name. If ClockWerk returned, it could mean the end of the Cooper name; the end of his family forever. It was that which he feared most: to be the last of his family. To know that even after stopping him twice, ClockWerk could still return and be his end. This was Sly’s view, and it had been the only thought he had since the news came. The only comfort he had now was his friends, especially Carmelita. No matter how dire and hopeless the situation may seem, her voice had always been able to calm him down; even if she had been trying to arrest him for the past few years.

“Sly…Sly, hello?”

Sly blinked out from his daze. He shook his head slightly before breathing in and straightening up his back.

“Forget it. It’s nothing.”

He stood up and walked away from Carmelita. Her ears flattened at seeing him act this way. He just needed space and time to cope with what was happening. She got up and began to walk out of the training room, looking back before she left to see Sly once again jumping around and attacking the training dummies. She gave a disheartened sigh before walking out.

“I take it that Mr. Cooper is upset?”

Carmelita’s ears perked as she turned and saw Mathew. He had been waiting outside the room for her. Carmelita took a breath and nodded.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

Mathew gave a slight nod and began to walk with her as she continued to talk.

“I remember when I first started working at Interpol and hearing about ClockWerk. A lot was unknown about him, only that he was a major crime boss that had evaded capture for decades. I never imagined what he really was…or what he had done.”

Mathew ‘hmm’ed in agreement.

“Yes, the infamous ClockWerk. He had been on PHOENIX’s radar for many years, but we could never do anything about it. He was smarter and more cunning than we realized. If he hadn’t been we might have been able to stop him long ago.”

Carmelita let out an annoyed and amused snort.

“Hm, yeah, I’m sure you would have. Not like you would have tried to hire him on and make him kidnap and murder for you.”

Mathew just gave her a chuckle and a smile.

“You still think we’re the bad guys hu?”

“Well it’s pretty obvious you are, even if you think you’re doing the right thing.”

Mathew just rolled his eyes and let her comments float away.

“What either of us believes is irrelevant. For now we have a common enemy. Let that be enough.”

Carmelita said nothing but accepted it. She was in this far; might as well see it through to the end. The two of them continued to walk through the facility. Mathew showed Carmelita the armory. Unsurprisingly it held a plethora of firearms, ranging from pistoles and rifles, to full on anti-tank missile launchers. They truly were ready to go to war; add to it that she had only seen a fraction of the whole facility. Who knows what else they had and how stocked they were. She didn’t even know how many troops were employed with PHOENIX, but it was safe to assume several hundreds if not thousands of trained militias inhabited the icy base; not to mention the unknown amount that were stationed all over the world. She truly had no idea how big PHOENIX’s army was, yet unknown to her or anyone, the full strength of PHOENIX would be challenged in the coming months.

* * *

 

“We’re going to Norway?”

Clayton’s gut turned over at hearing their destination. The others would have had the same reaction given their shared past, and he was surprised Luna lived there all this time.

“Yes Clayton. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Luan understood his reserve all to well. Clayton let the past flash by him for a moment before he just nodded.

“No, it’s alright, it just...been a while.”

“I know. Emily, you okay with this?”

The young wolf wasn’t as disheartened by the news as Clayton was. She had accepted their past and knew that the future was all that mattered.

“Yeah I’m fine. I haven’t been back in a long time either. It’ll be nice to see how things have changed.”

Luna smiled, glad that her they were okay with this. A few moments later the three of them arrived at the airport and paid for there tickets. It would be a seven-hour flight from Russia to Norway. It would give them time to sleep for a bit and adapt to the time changes. As with wherever they went, they chose to keep a low profile. They only thing that would make them stand out would be Clayton’s hat, which he never, EVER took off. It annoyed some of the others, but he didn’t care. He liked his hat and no matter where he went he would wear it. It did make him standout compared to the normal Russian attire that everyone else wore, but other than that the trio blended in with everyone else. They boarded their plane, first-class of course, and slowly drifted to sleep alone with the rest of the first-class passengers. Unbeknownst to them, one of the other passengers, clad in a brown trench coat, sunglasses and fedora, had recognized the trio and had messaged his commanding officer, informing him of which targets were currently on the plane. Once his message was sent he stayed as inconspicuous as possible, knowing that his job was to observe, nothing more.

* * *

 

 

It was nearing 7pm at the base and the gang had just finished dinner. There hadn’t been a very diverse collection of foods available, but the lasagna had been pretty good. Sly had kept quiet most of the day, something his friends easily noticed. They didn’t want to make things tenser then they already were, so they made sure to give him his space. Once dinner was finished the guys took a seat on the couch and flipped through the various channels. For an underground arctic base they had a lot of premium channels available. While the boys watched TV, Carmelita and Penelope took the chance to have some girl time. The two had never really spoken much, mainly due to the fact that Carmelita was always chasing after them. Penelope was a bit nervous at first but once the two got relaxed they talked openly. Penelope shared her past experiences and how she came to work with the Cooper gang, and Carmelita told her how she became a cop. The two really hit it off, finding that they had a lot more in common then they originally thought.

“Um, hey, is it alright if I ask you a personal question?”

Carmelita’s ears perked up and she looked to Penelope.

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

Penelope shifted a bit in her spot, trying to come up with the correct words.

“Well…I wanted to know…why do you like Sly so much?”

The question caught Carmelita off guard for a second. She blinked in confusion before her cheeks went red.

“O-oh…um, well…”

“You don’t have to answer. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable…”

“No no, it’s fine. I guess it does seem odd from someone else’s perspective…what with me being a cop and him a thief.”

Penelope just sat and waited while Carmelita collected her thoughts. She had thought about Sly in a romantic way in the past, but what really drove her to him? It was something she had never really thought about till now, and the more she did the more she blushed.

“Sly is…he’s just so different, so unique. Yes he’s a criminal, but he is unlike any criminal I’ve ever met. It’s taken me a long time to understand what he does and why he does it, but at his core he’s a good person who just wants to make the world a better place. He acts like a child most of the time and has got me in a lot of trouble with my boss, but he always means well. That and…well…he’s a really good kisser.”

Those last words really brought out the red in her cheeks. Penelope could only smile and nod. Sly really was a good guy, one of the best really. He wasn’t driven by greed or power, but by his family name and his commitment to better himself as a thief. He was brave and noble and kind, and he cared deeply for his friends. Him being a good kisser however was not something Penelope could attest to, but she could only imagine how it must make Carmelita feel.

“Alright, now you have to tell me why YOU like Bentley so much?”

The question brought the same redness to Penelope’s cheeks as it had to Carmelita’s. Carmelita waited patiently while also urging Penelope to spit it out.

“Um, eh, he just, you know, a really nice guy…eheh.”

“Oh come on, it’s way more then that. How does he make you feel?”

Penelope felt very awkward and flustered as she struggled to find the words.

“He’s well…he smart okay, but more than smart. I’m amazed by what he can do; how his mind works. He can look at an impossible situation and find over a dozen solutions. He can plan and build and fight and do things I never could, and he does it all for Sly because there’re like brothers. He’s just an amazing person and I love him and-”

She instantly stopped once the words left her mouth. Her whole body tensed and flustered as Carmelita gave her a wide-eyed grin. She was extremely embarrassed until Carmelita comforted her.

“Hehe, it’s alright, I won’t say anything. If it makes you feel better…I love Sly to.”

Her own face grew hot at saying the words, but it succeeded in calming Penelope. After a tense minute more the two girls swore each other to secrecy and move on with there conversation. It wasn’t long before it grew late and the gang retired to bed. They were still worried about Sly but knew he would be alright. Sly’s dream’s however, were anything but alright.

* * *

 

Sly’s body ached from the constant fighting. One after another, a new ClockWerk came again and again, each time getting bigger and stronger. He had been at it for hours without a break, and it wouldn’t be long before his body gave out. He smashed down another version of the metal owl and heaved in and out from fatigue. His rest only lasted seconds as a new ClockWerk dived down from the black sky, talons stretched out to dig into him. He rolled away, just barely missing the razor-sharp nails as the bird flew back up and came diving down again. Sly bent his legs and readied himself, and right as ClockWerk came down at him he lunged forward and looped his cane around of the bird’s metal feathers. Sly held on as ClockWerk flew around violently trying to shake him off. When at last the bird leveled out Sly quickly made his way up the long steel back towards the owl’s head. He made it to the back of his neck before holding on again as ClockWerk spun and shook. Once he had leveled out once more, Sly positioned himself above ClockWerk’s head and held his cane up high, ready to strike down. Just as he was about to strike, ClockWerk’s head turned a full 180 degrees to face him, only it wasn’t ClockWerk’s face. Instead it was the face of Vrook, who’s yellow eyes starred deep into Sly’s soul. Sly was mortified and terrified as he yelled and fell from the metal body. He fell for a few seconds before landing hard on his back. The fall had broken a few ribs and temporarily paralyzed Sly, who could do nothing but watch ClockWerk swoop down and sand in front of him. As the giant owl took steps toward him, his metal body morphed and shifted. Steel became fur, talons became claws, and his body became canine. When at last he was standing over Sly, ClockWerk was no more. In his place stood Vrook, emotionless and motionless. He starred down at the young raccoon, disappointed in what he saw. Sly cranked his neck to try and move and grunted in pain up at the Wolf.

“Ghr…what…do you want…f-from me…”

Vrook kneeled down and starred into Sly’s eyes. His gaze burned Sly, yet his words were cold as ice.

“ _Your soul.”_

Sly yelled out in pain and looked around franticly. He wasn’t dreaming anymore, but he wasn’t awake, nor was he in his bed. He was out in the cold hanger bay of the base, Kavar standing as a ghostly figure to his right. Nothing was said at first; The Director starred at him blankly. Sly took a moment to breath before standing to his feet and glaring.

“What are you not telling me.”

“What do you want to know? Do you want me to tell you the backstory of my siblings? How each of us came to be who we are today? Where we came from, what we truly are? It does not matter who or what we are, only that they must be stopped before they destroy everything.”

“Destroy what? Your plans for world domination? The way I see it, either way we’re screwed. If they win, they’ll burn the world. If you win, you’ll rule it with an iron fist. What’s the point in fighting if both sides end up ruining everything?”

“This isn’t about who’s right and who’s wrong, it’s about preserving order rather than letting chaos run free. I do not care if you agree with my goals, only that you understand the threat we face. Your father understood that.”

Sly’s blood went cold as he glared at the Director. The Director was unfazed, not caring what Sly felt, only that he sees the truth.

“When I brought your father here and told him of my Siblings, he understood the damage they could bring. It’s not about good vs evil, it about evolution vs destruction. So long as my siblings remain free they are a threat to everyone and everything. They will cause war and destabilization wherever they go.  I seek to bring an end to the suffering of the world while they would stand aside and do NOTHING!”

The Director’s true emotions began to show; a bitter rage toward the Wolf Pack. Sly still knew so little, but it was clear that there was a history he was unaware of. As much as he hated to admit it, he felt that what the Director was saying was true. He didn’t know the full extent of the Wolf Pack’s power, but if they were in any way related to the Director then they were a force to be reckoned with. Sly knew deep down that he really had no choice, not anymore. It wasn’t just because that the Director could have him killed at any minute, but because he began to realize the kind of danger the Wolf Pack could really possess. If the Director could, alone mind you, create and sustain an entire secret government with its own private army and political influence all over the world, and yet still have cause for concern for the Wolf Pack, then maybe there was something to his worry. Maybe they were far more evil then Sly originally thought. Maybe they really did want to see the world burn, and if so, could he really just stand by and do nothing? No, that wasn’t who he was. Sly knew when to pick his fights and when to run, but this time he had no where to run. He might not agree with the Director or trust him in the slightest, but he was beginning to understand the true gravity of the situation. Taking a deep breath in, Sly could only nod his head once and, with a tired voice, agree with the Director.

“Fine…I get it…It’s not like a have a choice in this anyways…”

The Director remained stagnant, though his mood did change slightly. He showed a hint of fatigue, a tiredness he had carried for years.

“Everyone has a choice. You chose to live your life as a thief, same as your father and his father and so on. I have made many choices, some good, others bad, but always toward a single goal. I would save our world and bring order and piece to a divided people, but I would burn it down myself before letting my brother have his way!”

The Director paused and took a moment to breath, letting his anger subside. He then looked back to Sly with a firm look. What he said next would shock Sly.

“You will never agree with my visions, nor my logic behind it, but like your father you understand the threat we face. You will help me put an end to the Wolf Pack, and in return, will show you your true potential. With my help, you will become the greatest Cooper to ever live.”

His words were enticing, meant to draw Sly in with promises of power and fame. It worked, slightly, but enough that Sly agreed.

“I don’t need your help, I’m already the greatest thief alive and I’ve taken down more bad guys than I can count. I’ll help you put a stop to their plans, but after that we’re done.”

The Director gave an amused smirk and nodded.

“Agreed, but do not forsake my offer so quickly. Men have died for the chance of such an offer; would you give it away so easily?”

Sly didn’t know what to say. He didn’t fully understand what the Director was offering him, but he doubted it was anything good. He just stayed silent.

“Have it your way. Wake up.”

* * *

 Luna opened her eyes. She listened to the planes captain, who was informing the passengers that they were beginning to land. She let out a small yawn and stretched her arms up above her. She had dozed off for a bit, something she needed more of badly. She gathered her bearings before waking Clayton and Emily. While Emily woke up refreshed as ever, Clayton just pulled his hat down over his face and grumbled. He hated waking up, it was the worst part about sleep. It took Emily’s constant poking and prodding to finally make him sit up and stretch. He let out a large yawn that was loud enough to wake everyone else that had been asleep in the first class.

The trio exited the Norwegian International airport and tried to wave down a cab. Clayton hated busy cities. So many people crowded together so close; it put him on edge. He just stood with a gruff frown on his face and his hat held over his eyes as they waited for a cab to show up. Once it did the three of them climbed in. Luna told the driver to take them toward the Royal Palace. The drive would take a while and the cab was small and crowded, adding to Clayton’s anxiety. Emily began to notice and gave him a nudge.

“Hey, calm down alright.”

“I don’t like tight crowded spaces…”

Emily rolled her eye and looked out the window. Oslo, the capital of Norway, was very busy. Many people walked along the sidewalks, going to or leaving work. It was nearing the later afternoon so many shops were either closing down or getting ready to. It was amazing, how much could change over the years; how society could go from wooden huts and castles to great skyscrapers powered by currents of electricity. It still amazed her to this day, a feeling that her siblings also shared. At last they arrived outside the royal palace and exited the cab. Luna thanked the driver and paid him before turning to the building. By now it was late, and many government workers had gone home. Only now had it dawned on Clayton where they were, and he was curious as to why.

“Tell me what we’re doing here again?”

“Harald V is the current king of Norway and a good friend. I need to discuss some things with him before we head north.”

Clayton just ‘hmphed’ and followed. Luna lead the three toward the palace gates, which was under guard. As they approached, two guards noticed them and stood at attention, rifles to their sides. One of them held out a hand toward them.

“Halt. The palace is closed for the evening.”

Luna took a step forward and waved her hand in front of her. As she did, a purple magic enveloped her hand before reaching out and circling the two guards. It absorbed itself into their minds and turned their eyes dark purple. When Luna spoke, they would obey.

“We are friends of the king. You will let us pass.”

“ _You are friends of the king. We will let you pass.”_

The two guards opened the gates for them and allowed them to pass without another word. Smirking, Luna walked past them gracefully, with Emily and Clayton followed. Once they were inside the guards closed the gate behind them, and Luna returned their minds to them. They remembered nothing of what had just happened. Luna lead them inside the palace. Whenever they encountered another guard or palace worker Luna would use her magic to either make them leave or mask the trio’s presence. Clayton stayed quiet as he followed. It had been a while since he had seen Luna use her magic. It was subtle, but effective, and made her quite dangerous should she ever use it to its full effect. While Clayton thought of the past, Emily was enveloped by the palace interior. It lived up to its title, with red carpets and displays of crowns and precious jewels covering the hallways. Large portraits covered the wall, many being past kings and queens who had ruled Norway in the past, either directly or symbolically. Emily loved the scenery, and each time she passed by a case full of gold or jewels her mouth salivated. Like Sly Cooper, she loved to steal things, though unlike him she stole whatever she wanted from whoever she wanted to, deserving or not. She knew she would need to swipe a few before they left, at least just one ruby or diamond, maybe even a small crown. Luna came to a door and stopped. She gave it three knocks and waited. After a moment she heard the locks click open and a skinny spotted cheetah maid answered. Before the maid could answer Luna used her magic and commanded her to leave. Once she was gone and entered the room, the others following silently behind.

“Kelly, who was at the door?”

The voice came from an older looking badger. He was dressed in grey pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He might not have looked much like a king from his current attire, but he was all the same. He hadn’t even turned from his TV show to notice Luna and the others standing in the entryway until Luna spoke.

“I half expected you to be asleep by now.”

The king nearly jumped out of his own fur at hearing the strangers voice. He quickly looked over and his eyes went wide at seeing the three Dire Wolves standing in his bedroom. His internal fright was quickly replaced with relief once he realized who it was.

“GUDS MOR! (Mother of God) Luna?!”

“Hello Harald, it’s been a while.”

The king breathed for a moment before relaxing in his chair. He reached over for the remote and turned of the TV before speaking again.

“You can’t scare me like that. At my age I could have a stroke from that.”

“And if you had I would have stopped it, so there was nothing to worry about.”

The king just let out a content ‘hmph’ before looking to the others.

“I assume these two are with you as well?”

“These are two of my siblings. Emily, my sisters, and Clayton, my brother.”

Clayton reached up and tipped the brim of his hat to the king. Emily gave a deep bow and greeted the king in a very exaggerated way. The act got a small laugh out of the king before he turned back to Luna.

“I take it my guards were no match for you magic. Please, sit.”

The king gestured for a few seats that were nearby. Luna took a seat by the king, while Clayton opted to stand by the window. Emily took a seat by Clayton and starred out up at the stars, which were just now beginning to show. While the two looked outside, Luna and the king spoke.

“Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“Sugar?”

“Two please.”

The king poured Luna a cup and handed it to her. He made himself a cup and mixed in his sugar with a spoon.

“I take it you haven’t come here just to catch up.”

“No. A lot has changed in a short time.”

“I bet. Last time we spoke was over seven years ago. I thought you had moved?”

“I did for a bit, but I couldn’t leave my home behind.”

“Hmm, home. That has a lot more meaning to you than most.”

The king gave Luna a sorrow-filled look.  As part of the royal family, he knew many things that others didn’t. Luna had known him from when he was much younger, and she had known his father, and his grandfather, and his great-grandfather, and so forth. He remembered the countless stories his parents would tell him about Luna and the others; about who they were and what they could do. He felt privileged to know so much about something he understood so little about.

“So, what do you need from me?”

“PHOENIX”

The king nearly chocked on his tea. He coughed and punched his chest trying to breath. Once he could he gave her a worried look.

“Are you serious? What does PHOENIX want with you?”

Luna looked over at her siblings then back to the king, sighing heavily.

“It’s a complicated story. They are putting everything they have into finding us. That’s why I need your help.”

“What do you expect me to do? I don’t hold any real power, and even if I did there’s nothing I could do. PHOENIX goes where they want and do what they want. No place on earth is safe from them.”

“There is one place, here in Norway. I can’t explain it to you, but they won’t come here, not in bulk anyways, which is where you can help.”

Luna leaned in and whispered to the king. His face turned from confusion, to shock, to determination. Luna pulled away once she was done and starred at him. He looked back, thinking for a moment before nodding.

“Alright, I’ll see what can be done.”

“Thank you. If everything goes to plan we won’t have to, but I would rather be safe than sorry.”

The tired badger nodded and sunk back into his seat. Despite being king, he had ever really had to make any big decisions like this. He knew the risks, but if the stories he had been told were true, then things could really change. The two finished their conversation before bidding each other farewell. Luna and the others left the palace without being noticed and were soon back out into the open city. Once they were alone Clayton spoke up.

“You never told us you knew the king of Norway.”

“I’ve stayed in touch with the royal family for decades. If we should ever some day perish I would like for someone to remember who we are, wouldn’t you?”

“Hmph...I guess.”

“Where are we off to now?”

Emily’s cheerful tone was almost always in effect, even when asking the simplest of questions. Luna looked to the night sky, seeing the faint trails of the northern lights off in the distance. They were her guide and she would follow. A smile then crept on her face.

“Who’s up for a run?”

The question caused Clayton to raise an eyebrow in shock and Emily to draw a grin from ear-to-ear. Luna looked at them both with a smug grin, one that Clayton copied soon after. The three of them looked North, and without a second thought, ran off into the night. There transformations could not be seen, only their feral shadows showed whenever they passed by the light of the moon. The only one to witness their departure was a hidden PHOENIX agent, who had been following them ever since they got off the plane. He had seen only a glimpse of there monstrous forms, but it had been enough to frighten him. Once he knew they had left he quickly pulled out a device and contracted his superior. Moments passed before he was informed to follow them as best he could. He dreaded having to chase after those beats, but as all good soldiers he followed orders without question, no matter how dangerous they may be. There sudden midnight howl had only added to his increasing anxiety.


	17. Fast as a Racoon

Athena walked out into the large open court of the base. To her right, half a dozen battalions were doing pushups in perfect synchronization with one another. Behind them a handful of scout planes were being refueled before heading out for their daily patrols. To her left, rows of tanks, jeeps, buggies, and many more land-based military vehicles sat waiting for they day they would be used. The Director wanted to make sure they could mobilize world-wide at any given moment, and so far, it seemed like it could very well be done. The proud Puma strode on, troops and officers showing her the utmost respect when she passed by. She enjoyed being feared, it was one of the few things in life that brought her joy. The soldiers of PHOENIX had no names or families and knew nothing but to serve and die when told. They obeyed her without a second thought: absolute unweaving control as the Director had told her. They were hers to command as she wished, and any defiance or doubt was quickly snuffed out. That’s why when she saw a group of troops gathered around one of the hanger doors, she instantly grew curious, and angry.

Along the far back wall of the icy base was a row of large, high security hanger doors. Inside most were top-secret and experimental projects that only a few were allowed to know about. There was one she knew was empty, and it was this one that the troops were huddled around. Six, maybe seven of them were crowded next to one another and peering through the small opening. Athena walked up to them, her footsteps mute until she slammed her foot down to get their attention. Immediately the group turned, and at noticing who it was, stood at full attention and as still as stone. Athena glared at them and demanded to know what was going on. Fear kept them from speaking, all but for a possum who worked up the courage to obey her commands.

“We were observing Sly Cooper Ms. Athena Ma’am.”

Athena cocked a brow while still glaring at the lot. She looked over them and peered into the hanger, seeing a figure move around. Her face grew an annoyed look and she ordered them to leave, as well as giving them all cleaning duty for a week. They saluted and thanked her before promptly marching away. Once they were gone Athena looked back and looked for herself as to what was going on.

Inside, Sly was crouched on a thin vertical pipe. He waited a moment before leaping up and hooking his cane around a low-bearing rail. He swung himself up and flipped around before landing feet first on the railing above. Sly had been given permission by the Director to train in the hanger. Strange as it was, it allowed him the space and flexibility to practice more of his skills and abilities he had learned from his ancestors. Since he didn’t have the vast rooftops of Paris, he had to make do with what he could, and for now it seemed to be enough. From the railing he ran across the length of the catwalk before flinging himself off the side and catching his cane in a wire. He used the wire to swing himself around until he came back toward the railing he had just been at. From there he leaped across and caught his feet between two beams and hung upside down. He looped his cane around another beam and flung himself forward toward the ground, grinding along a pipe before landing firmly back where he began. He had continued this drill for over an hour, occasionally switching things up to make himself prepared in any situation. He never even noticed Athena until she called for him.

“Cooper!”

Her voice was almost as commanding as the Director’s, and he almost lost his balance from her sudden appearance. He looked down at her from a railing he hung from and cocked an eyebrow.

“Get down here. Now.”

Sly starred at her, then darted his eyes to a low-hanging cable. He jumped from the railing and hooked his cane around the cable and allowed gravity to take him down. When he came to a halt, Sly hung upside down from his hook in front of Athena. (Think of when Spiderman hung upside down by his webbing.) Sly smiled at her, which she returned with a frown and glare.

“Stop acting like a child and stand to!”

Sly ‘hmphed’ in annoyance and twirled himself around before landing on his feet. He stood up tall and held his cane to his side.

“What is it you need ma’am?”

Sly was back to his usual upbeat attitude, mainly just to keep his mind of ClockWerk and to concentrate on his skills. Athena just scowled more and spoke.

“What exactly are you doing right now?”

“Well right now I’m talking to you, but before that I was just sharpening my skills; getting some training in.”

“You’re not seriously telling me you call _that_ training.”

Sly leaned on his cane and drew a small smirk.

“Look, just because I don’t do pushups for ten hours straight doesn’t mean I don’t know how to fight. I can handle myself pretty well.”

Athena looked him over, clearly not impressed, but curious. She heard stories about the famous Cooper clan and their skills, but just how true were they? She decided to find out for herself.

“Can you hmm? Let’s find out.”

Before Sly could react, Athena reached out and grabbed his wrist. Her slim form completely masked her true strength as she was able to flip Sly around and send him tumbling to the floor. Sly rolled a few feet away before quickly jumping to his feet.

“HEY! What was that for?”

“You said you could handle yourself. I want to see how well you handle me.”

Sly had little time to react as Athena lunged at him. He was just barely able to dodge past her before she could grab him again. Athena spun herself around and went into a low, crouching position. Her left hand held her steady and her right hung ready to strike. Sly, now a few feet away, looked at her and quickly contemplated his options. Seeing no other alternative, he spun his cane around and held it ready in front of him. Seeing that he was ready, Athena ran at him and threw the first swing. Sly spun his cane and blocked. Her next swing came, and he again blocked. Athena attacked with a very unique style, one Sly hadn’t really ever faced. Her hits were hard, yet her movements flowed like water. She jabbed, sliced, punted, leg sweeped, and twirled. Her attacks were fast and continuous, never relenting or leaving space for an opening. Sly was doing well on the defense, but it would not last long. Finally, there was the slightest moment of delay and Sly took his chance. With a swift motion he pushed her arm away and delivered a strong swing with the top of his cane into the Puma. The hit sent her sliding back a few feet. She cupped her chest with one hand and stopped her slide with another. Sly took a step back, staying ready but concerned that he may have hurt her. Athena took a second to breath before looking up, a genuine smile on her face.

“Good shot Cooper. You have a strong swing.”

She stood up and starred at the racoon, deciding her next move. She smirked and went into a defensive position.

“Show me what you can do.”

 Sly just starred at her for a moment before realizing she was serious. Not wanting to disappoint, Sly readied himself before running toward her. Athena was ready for him, but just as he was about to reach her he did something unexpected. Sly used all his might to put his cane down into the floor, sending himself up and over the eager Puma. He ended up landing directly behind her and quickly spun himself and his cane around. Athena had been surprised by the act, but was able to quickly adapt and block his attack. For most, a direct hit with Sly’s cane made even the most hardened wreathe with pain, but not Athena. Her body was as strong as stone and as flexible as air, and she was able to use her arm to completely block Sly’s attack. He didn’t let that fact dissuade him, and he quickly attacked again, this time with the other end of his cane. He brought the end of his cane down hard, but again Athena blocked his attack. This time he noticed her wince slightly in pain, which at least showed him she wasn’t invincible. The two locked glaring eyes for a moment before Sly pushed himself away from her and regained his balance. Athena rolled her shoulder and flexed out her arm to relieve some of the pain from his attacks. He was stronger than she first thought, but brute strength was not Sly’s way. She looked at the raccoon while cracking her knuckles and spoke.

“You’re good in close quarters, but I know that’s not your style. Show me how a real Cooper fights.”

Sly looked at her for a moment then smiled. If he was to gain any sort of respect from her, this was the way.  That, and he wanted to prove to her just how capable he was. He darted his eyes around the hanger for a moment before deciding on a plan. He hoped this would work, otherwise he would look like a complete fool. Before Athena could try anything, Sly crouched down then launched himself up into the rafters, and into the darkness. He disappeared from sight which gave him the perfect advantage. Athena, expecting this, kept her guard up and slowly walked around the floor. She kept her ears perked, listening for the slightest sound or movement. She heard a rustle, then a swoosh, then silence. She listened, and waited. While she did, Sly pondered his next move. He crouched on a beam directly above her, hidden from view. Not only did the darkness conceal him, but his abilities allowed him to become completely invisible. He watched her movements and began to notice a pattern. He studied it, watched how it changed, and knew when to strike. He positioned himself, cane in hand, and readied a pounce. He wasn’t trying to hurt her, though he was sure she could take it, but he was going to get the upper hand on her. Maybe after this she would treat him with a bit more respect. Sly breathed in, slowing time around him before leaping from the rafters and down onto her. He would pounce on her back, sending her to the ground, then he would hook his cane around her waist and pin her to the floor. He’d done it before, more than once to Carmelita, and it had never failed him. His plan was solid…until it wasn’t. Just as he was about to reach her, Athena twirled around and reached out for him. He had no time to react as he watched her in slow-mow grab hold of his left leg and vault him away from her. She used a great deal of her might to fling the young racoon all the way across the hanger and out into the larger facility. Sly flew through the air, out the large bay doors and rolled across the steel floor. His sudden appearance drew the attention of all the troops currently training, which were several hundred if not more. Sly coughed and grunted in pain as he made his way to his feet, having to rely on his cane to keep him steady. He looked with pained eyes as Athena strolled on out of the hanger she was in and toward him, a smirk on her face. Sly grimaced and held his side, feeling what felt like a broken rib. He looked around at the many soldiers who starred at him, many of whom were smirking while others simply held neutral expressions. He swallowed hard while holding himself up and starred at Athena as she approached him.

“I’ll give you this racoon, you can certainly take a hit. While I won’t say I am impressed by your skills, you’re at least better than I first thought.”

Her back-hand compliment annoyed Sly, but at least it was something. He hadn’t expected her to be this good, and it worried him a bit. He had always prided himself on his skill to take enemies down by surprise, but for her, at least, it seemed stealth wouldn’t work. He wasn’t sure how she had done it, but somehow, she had been faster than him, and that was a rare thing. Sly forced out a pained chuckle and spoke.

“Thanks…glad I could impress…but I think you broke something.”

Athena rolled her eyes.

“Grow up. You should be glad I didn’t fracture your leg while I had you…MICHAL!”

A small raven ran over and saluted. He was dressed a bit differently, mainly his suit was greyer and whiter than the others. That and he wore a small badge with a health symbol engraved into it.

“Take Mr. Cooper and get him patched up. The Director will want him at his best.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“The rest of you, forty laps around the base, NOW!”

All at once every soldier around saluted and began their job. The raven turned to Sly and bid him to follow. Sly followed, pain jolting through him with each step. Once they were gone, Athena looked up and starred at the Director. He looked down at her from his office and gave a slight nod. Athena returned the gesture and walked away, gladdened that she had made her master proud.

* * *

 

“Aule arda tanya wista, neen kuru kelva, tulka si aule…”

Talion’s magic worked the broken and deformed machine back into its original, functional form. His magic came from his tome; a book he had kept and added to since the days when kings and queens sought the advice of wizards rather than google. As the ages had changed, he had adapted and changed many of his spells while also inventing new ones. The world now was not very accepting of magic; in fact the old ways had all but died out save for a small handful who still practiced the old magic under his careful teachings. His students had begged him not to leave, but family came before all others and he was only to glad to see his brothers and sisters once again.

“Incredible…even its power source is fully charged.”

Nathan was astounded by his brother’s magic. He knew magic could do incredible and science-defying things, but he never thought it could be used to repair the most delicate of machinery. Sure, he had some powers of his own; they all did, but Talion was beyond any of them. Nathan held up the now repaired microchip: a piece he needed to continue building ClockWerk. It was in fact the very chip that Carmelita had smashed many years ago in Paris after Clock-La’s defeat. It had been in the vault along with the schematics Emily had procured a few days earlier, and it would allow Nathan to begin re-uploading ClockWerk’s mind, along with a few tweaks to suit their goals. Talion smiled and gave his brother a nod.

“Technology isn’t the only thing that can evolve. Magic is like water; able to adapt and conform to whatever it acts on. You might be the world greatest engineer, but don’t hold your breath waiting for me to call you for tech support.”

The two wolves laughed. Both were complete opposites yet could find common ground in almost anything. Where Nathan found magic to be mysteries and wonderful, Talion found the creations of man to be equally astounding. Magic could only do so much, and it could never evolve as fast as technology could. Still, Talion saw that magic existed in all things, even within the lifeless, enigmatic world of the internet. Magic’s true nature may have died out long ago, but it still impacted everyone and everything. Talion closed his book of spells and had it float next to him while he and Nathan walked.

“So, how much longer do you think you need? I can feel Vrooks anxiety rise with each day.”

“A week, maybe more. I’ve almost got the frame finished but it’s going to take a while to upload and reconfigure ClockWerk’s mind. He needs to obey rather than think for himself, otherwise he’ll just go back to his homicide old self.”

Talion “hmmed” and nodded. The two brothers starred up at the massive bird. Clockwerk may have hidden in the shadows for centuries, but his actions were known worldwide by those who knew of him. Such hate and petty revenge had always puzzled Talion. ClockWerk could have been so much more, yet he waisted his years stalking and forever torturing a single family for countless generations. Was it truly just jealousy, or had it been something more? These questions filled the wolf’s mind, but he pushed them away for now and spoke to his brother.

“Well I suppose you have work to do. I’ll let you to it.”

Talion tuned to leave but Nathan stopped him.

“There is one other thing I need your help with.”

Talion looked back at Nathan you glanced back up at ClockWerk, then back to Talion. He was confused at first, but after a quick realization he smirked and nodded, eager to bring his brothers plans to life.

* * *

 

Sly winced in pain as he left the infirmary. The facilities head doctor, a short weasel, told Sly nothing was broken and that the swelling would be gone in a day or so. He gave Sly some pills to help sleep and sent him on his way. Sly made his way back to the gangs living complex and fell on the couch. Bentley immediately began questioning Sly while Murray and Penelope sat back and ate some food.

“So yeah, that’s why I’m all banged up. I can’t believe she was faster than me. ME!”

Bentley, concerned as always, lectured Sly.

“What did you expect Sly? I doubt she became who she is by intimidation alone. These guys are professionals, and once there done with us we’re all dead!”

“Would you relax about it Bentley. There not going to kill us. The Director gave me his word on that.”

“And you trust him? He’s got to be the most secretive person in the world, why would he NOT kill us?”

“Because he’s obsessed with us.”

All four of them turned to face Carmelita. Held under her arm was a stack of files, each very filled.

“What’s that?” Sly asked.

Carmelita tossed the first file down on the table. On the front was written ‘Sly Cooper’, along with a photo of Sly. It looked a lot like the file he had stolen from the police station years ago before going on his adventure to retrieve the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus.

“These are copies of the files PHOENIX has on us.”

There was a bitterness behind her words. She didn’t seem to happy to have these files. She threw Bentley and Murray their own respective files while keeping the last for herself. Penelope frowned at not getting one.

“Where’s mine?”

Carmelita looked at her with a half-hearted smile.

“Sorry but there wasn’t one for you.”

Penelope’s ears drooped at hearing that, and she instead looked with Bentley over his. Carmelita sat down across from Sly and crossed her arms.

“I don’t know if he thinks I’m impressed or what. I can’t believe they know so much about us!”

“Who?” Sly asked.

“That self-centered, egotistical Jackal that’s who! He walks me around and ‘explains’ why PHOENIX is “trying to save the world” and “there doing what needs to be done”. Did you know that they were secretly the ones who started the cold war?! It’s sickening!”

The gang looked at each other for a minute trying to find something to say. Coming up with nothing, Bentley cleared his throat before speaking.

“So how DID you get these?”

Carmelita gave out a snorted laugh while shaking her head.

“He gave them to me, “as a token of goodwill” he put it…”

She turned and flipped open her file.

“They know everything. Where we live, who our families are, our eating schedule. Look, they even have photos of me when I graduated training!”

Sly looked and saw a picture of a younger Carmelita accepting a diploma. Damn, she still looked as hot now as she did then. Sly then turned to his own file and flipped it open. The first thing he found was a photo. It was an image of the outside of his parents’ home, back from when Sly was just a kid. He starred at the photo, old forgotten memories resurfacing as he did. He remembered sitting on his father’s lap and hearing about the many adventures his father had gone on. He remembered jumping at his mother’s feet as she was finishing a batch of cookies, pleading to have one, then later on stealing the entire jar while his parents slept. They were good memories; ones he had nearly forgotten, but they were soon overtaken by the horrors of that fateful night. He forced himself to not think about it and set the picture aside, instead flipping through the rest of the file. Carmelita was right: they knew everything. There were documents of his acceptance into the orphanage, pictures of him leaping through the rooftops of Paris, even written transcript of conversations he had with various people throughout his life. There were photos of him battling the fiendish five, ClockWerk, at the tango dance with Carmelita. Every mission, every job, they were watching him; watching all of them. It was amazing really, creepy, but amazing. Deep down Sly was almost impressed. That someone could capture every moment of his life and document it to complete accuracy was truly something. Bentley on the other hand was now more paranoid than ever. His file wasn’t as large, but what was in it really freaked him out. Murray was more or less confused about the whole thing. It didn’t make much sense to him, but he thought it was cool none-the-less. Carmelita was furious for a multitude of reasons. For one, she felt completely violated. How dare someone spy on her, and that fact that she would have never known was even more infuriating. Add to it that PHOENIX existed outside any laws or government and she was to the point of razing PHOENIX to the ground herself.

Sly leaned back and smiled. Carmelita noticed and narrowed her eyes.

“You think this is funny ringtail?”

Sly looked over and locked eyes with her. He then let out a small chuckle and sat up.

“You’ve got to admit it’s pretty impressive.”

“IMPRESSIVE?! You think it’s okay for them to spy on us?”

“What do you want me to say Carmelita? You want me to get angry over something I can’t control?”

Carmelita stayed silent but just continued to snare daggers at Sly. He rolled his eyes and let out a deep breath.

“What do you expect Carmelita? They want to rule the world; what better way than to start with spying on everyone? There’s nothing we can do to change that so there no reason to make a big deal over it.”

Sly starred at her with a knowing gaze, and Carmelita’s anger quickly dissolved. She let her muscles relax and her body slump into the chair she was in. She let out a deep sigh and rubbed a hand over her face. Sly looked at the others before taking a deep breath and speaking.

“Look, we all agree that none of us should be here. These guys, PHOENIX; there not the good guys, we get that. I don’t like having to work with them, but we don’t have a choice…”

All of them looked at Sly. It was rare for Sly to get serious like this, but when he did it caught their attention, especially Carmelita. She and the others listened intently to what he had to say.

“We’ve been through a lot, and we’ve always come out on top in the end. PHOENIX may not be the good guys but if there’s any truth to what the Director has told me, then the Wolf Pack is a much bigger threat. Sometimes you have to work with the criminal to stop the bad guy.”

Sly glanced over at Carmelita. Her face instantly brightened as she gave him a narrowed-eye smirk at his last commend. The others noticed and reacted accordingly. Penelope giggled to herself while Bentley and Murray made kissy-faces toward Sly. Sly just gave Carmelita quick wink before turning back to the others and stretching his hand out.

“What do you say guys? Let’s put our all into this one and see where things go. Who knows, we might even be able to kill two birds with one stone in the end.”

Murray was the first to throw his hand in.

“HELL YEAH! Let’s do it!”

Penelope was next.

“I’m with ya Sly.”

Bentley pressed a button and had a long mechanical hand stretch out for him.

“I’ll always be by your side Sly, but I still think were all going to die by the end of this.”

Sly looked over at Carmelita who had been watching the other reactions. There eyes met for a moment, and in that moment many unspoken words were traded between them. This was a chance for them all to really work together as a team; as equals rather then cop and thief. She slowly outstretched her hand and laid it atop the others.

“For once Ringtail, you make a good point. If we work together and stay smart, nothing can stand in our way.”

The rest of the gang were glad Carmelita had finally come around and was helping them rather than chasing them, but none of them were as happy as Sly. For the first time the love of his life was not only helping him but trusting him completely. Time seemed to stop in that moment as the two starred at each other. It was one of those picture-perfect moments that was quickly ruined by a rapid knocking at their door. Sly, knocked out of the trance, quickly hopped up and headed to the door while the others talked and mingled for a moment. Sly turned the doorknob and opened the door to face an intimidating-looking canine.

“The Director requests you and your companion’s immediate presence in the war room.”

Sly, who had opened his mouth to speak, quickly closed it and nodded. He walked back inside and told the others, who quickly gathers their things and followed Sly who followed the canine. Unbeknownst to them, things were about to ramp up big time, and Sly was going to face the first of many difficult challenges that awaited him in the near future.

* * *

 

The snow crunched under their paws. Front right, back left, front left, back right. As they came out into a clearing, they returned to there normal-two legged forms. Luna stood out on the cliff, the wind blowing behind her as she starred down at the village below. Clayton and Emily walked up next to her and looked down as well.

“Home at last…”

Clayton adjusted his hat and crossed his arms.

“Lets just get what you need and get back. The sooner we do, the less of a risk we have of being spotted.”

Emily leaped up and landed on a low branch, her body as light as a feather.

“We’re in the middle of nowhere Clayton, lighten up. PHOENIX isn’t going to find us any time soon. By the time we get back I’m sure Nathan will be done. Lets just enjoy our time here.”

Clayton grumbled under his breath but didn’t give any more protest. Luna looked up to the sky and noticed the moon beginning to dip. It would be day soon, and while Emily was right, so was Clayton. It’s wasn’t wise to stay to long, but they weren’t in any rush.

Becoming beasts once again, the trio leaped from the cliff and made there way toward the village. Unknown to them, the lone PHOENIX soldier had watched there moves from a silent drone high above them. The drone continued to follow as the solider contacted HQ to relay the information, freezing in place when he heard the Directors voice on the other end.


End file.
